Ryan Matthews dies in fatal D.C. shooting

Ryan Matthews dies in fatal D.C. shooting

Fatal D.C. shooting death of Ryan Matthews – Obituary

Ryan Matthews, a 36-year-old man from Southeast Washington, was killed in a shooting near midnight on Sunday in the 4600 block of Benning Road SE. Police arrived around 9:50 p.m. after reports of gunfire and found Matthews suffering from gunshot wounds.

Despite efforts from EMS on the scene, he was pronounced dead. Another man was wounded in the same incident.

This shooting is part of a troubling series of five fatal shootings over six days in Washington, D.C., involving four men and one teenage boy. Among the victims were Christopher Rashad Riles, 32, shot in the 100 block of Irvington Street SW; 17-year-old Naquan Johnson, shot in Northeast’s Trinidad neighborhood; Ricky Jones, 32, found dead on Elvans Road SE; and Jacquise Zanders, 21, who died at a shooting scene on Benning Road SE.

These recent homicides have reduced the gap between the total killings reported this year and those from last year at this time, with 57 homicides so far in 2025 compared to 61 in 2024. Despite this, overall violent crime, including robberies and nonfatal shootings, has decreased by roughly 22 percent in the city.

Police continue their investigations, but so far, no direct connections between the shootings have been confirmed. Authorities urge anyone with information about these incidents to come forward.