Eugene Williams Sentenced For Killing DeShaun Francis In DC

An 18-year-old gunman who killed a teen during a botched drug deal in Washington, DC will avoid the maximum prison term after a judge showed leniency, federal authorities announced.

District resident Eugene Williams was sentenced this week after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in December for the fatal shooting of DeShaun Francis, 16, who accompanied a family member to sell marijuana in February 2022.

According to court documents, on Feb. 8, 2022, Williams arranged to buy weed from a family member of Francis, with the intention of visiting his father after the deal went down.

Francis agreed to come along and was seated in the front seat of the car when Williams came out to inspect the goods. Prosecutors said that Williams initially walked to the driver’s side of the car, briefly interacted with the two, and then re-entered an apartment building.

Shortly thereafter, Williams returned with a second man, Anthony Greene, who approached the driver's side while the former walked to the passenger side of the vehicle with a gun, firing one shot inside that struck Francis in the head.

The two then retreated and exchanged gunfire with Francis' family member. Francis was hospitalized in critical condition for three days until the Alexandria resident succumbed to his injuries on Feb. 11, 2022.

Williams was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act and ordered by a judge to serve eight-and-a-half years of a 10-year sentence, with 18 months of prison time. He faced a sentencing range of seven-and-a-half to 15 years in prison, which prosecutors requested.

Upon his release, Williams will also be on supervised probation for 18 months.

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