WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A D.C. man was handed a 107-year prison sentence for the shooting death of a 13-year-old boy and a separate shooting in the Petworth neighborhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia announced Friday.
Reginald Steele, Jr., 26, was found guilty in Nov. 2025 of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other firearm-related charges. These charges stem from the murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes in Mar. 2020 and a separate shooting in the Petworth neighborhood.
According to court documents, Steele and four co-defendants were members of street crews, including: 3500, CHV, Rock Creek Church, Really Ready Gang, and 640. Steele’s neighborhood had an ongoing feud with the Ninth Street crew after one of their members was killed in Sept. 2019.
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On Mar. 1, 2020, Steele and the co-defendants were circling Ninth Street in a stolen vehicle, looking for members of the rival crew. Court documents said the men spotted 13-year-old Malachi Lukes walking with his three friends to play basketball in the 600 block of S Street NW…