Jordanian citizen killed in DC double homicide
Rachel Schilke
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A Jordanian citizen is among the two killed in a double homicide and crash near Capitol Hill on Sunday night.
Hamza Jamil Zaki Abo Halaoh, 32, from Jordan, a ride-for-hire driver, died after being found shot in a vehicle that crashed in Southeast Washington, D.C. Police identified one of the shooting victims as Othaniel Gaither, 34. A third person found in the SUV, who was not shot, was also injured in the crash.
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Police said around 8:25 p.m., police officers responded to reports of a shooting near 11th Street Southeast. After arriving on the scene, officers located two men in an SUV suffering from gunshot wounds.
The SUV crashed into several cars parked around the street. A vehicle owner found a gunshot hole in his car’s back windshield, and a bullet had shattered a storefront window.
D.C. Police Captain Kevin Kentish told reporters that officers discovered a firearm at the scene, but there is no evidence connecting the firearm to the victim’s vehicle. No evidence has been found showing that the victims engaged in gunfire or that the SUV victims were armed.
Police believe the shooting was a targeted incident but did not offer any comment on whether the SUV was part of a rideshare service. Officers do not believe Abo Halaoh was the intended target.
Officers did not confirm that Abo Halaoh was the second victim to die in the shooting, but a spokesperson from the Jordan Embassy confirmed that he was in the United States legally. The embassy is in conversation with DC police, the FBI, and the Ministry of Jordan.
Abo Halaoh’s cousin, Osama Abu Halaweh, told Fox 5 DC News that Abo Halaoh came to the United States to live out the American Dream.
“Let me tell you something, Hamza has been dreaming to go to America to work — just to live the America Dream — for about like 15 years, since we were in the school,” Abu Halaweh said.
Abo Halaoh leaves behind a wife and twin 3-year-old girls, his cousin said. He had plans to bring his family to the U.S., and his wife has U.S. citizenship.
Islam Johar, who says he owns a rideshare company similar to Uber, told Fox 5 that Abo Halaoh was working for him the night he died, and the SUV belonged to Johar’s wife.
Johar said Abo Halaoh was his best friend and described him as the man to call his family every day.
“Hamza has relatives [in Jordan] that we are like, hearts are broken now ‘cause we don’t know what happened to him,” Abu Halaweh said. “Hamza is a very decent guy and all he wants is to live like a decent life for his family and children.”
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The suspect’s vehicle is a sedan, but no further details were provided on the nature of the suspect.
Metropolitan Police Department told the Washington Examiner that the case remains under active investigation. The department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for anyone that provides information related to each homicide, for a total of $50,000.