Violence interrupter, DC man charged with first-degree murder in H Street lounge shooting

Yahoo

25-03-2025

WASHINGTON () — Two men are facing murder charges in connection to a shooting that happened a year and a half ago in Northeast D.C. One of them is a known violence interrupter.
44-year-old Cotey Wynn was charged, not for pulling the trigger but police said for facilitating the shooting.
In September 2023, former Morgan State University basketball player Blake Bozeman was shot and killed at Cru Lounge Hookah Bar.
Police announced Friday the arrest of Antwan Shelton and Wynn. Both were charged with first-degree murder while armed.
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Wynn has been working with the D.C. Office of the Attorney General as a violence interrupter.
'I know he does a lot for the community. He runs a safe passage program, so my initial reaction was just a state of shock,' said Jawanna Hardy, founder of Guns Down Friday.
Hardy does her own violence interruption as the founder of .
'We cross paths a lot. A lot of the kids that I work with are a part of his program and they speak very highly of him,' said Hardy.
In court documents, police noted that Shelton allegedly shot and killed Bozeman and injured several others on the second floor of Cru Lounge.
Investigators said video footage showed Wynn helped Shelton get into the lounge with a gun, bypassing security. Wynn was standing at the bar and never ducked down or took cover as he watched Shelton fire his gun on the dance floor.
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According to court documents, Wynn gave Shelton a hand gesture, pointing toward the stairway exit to leave, at which point, Shelton ran down the stairs and outside to the vehicle Wynn parked across the street.
Hardy doesn't want all violence interrupters to be seen in a poor light.
'Just like the police system they look at the system different because of the actions of one violence interrupter and I just, I don't feel that it's fair in an organization like mine,' Hardy said.
In a statement to DC News Now, a spokesperson from the D.C. Office of the Attorney General said the office did not have knowledge of Wynn's involvement in any events.
These allegations are deeply troubling, and our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and their loved ones. Our office had no knowledge of Cotey's potential involvement in any events related to his arrest. He is well known throughout the District for his anti-violence work and is respected across the community. We will support our law enforcement partners as they finish their investigation and respect the need for the legal process to unfold.'
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