The grounds of Washington National Cemetery in the 4100 block of Suitland Road in Prince George's County, Maryland, where police say a funeral company owner shot a pallbearer. Picture: Washington Post photo by Jasmine Hilton
By Jasmine Hilton
A Maryland funeral company owner has been charged with fatally shooting a pallbearer at the Tuesday afternoon burial of a 10-year-old DC homicide victim, police said on Wednesday.
Wilson Chavis, 48, of Hughesville, Maryland, is charged with first- and second-degree murder in the killing of Ronald Steven Banks, 30, of Washington, after police say he opened fire following a business dispute with others.
Chavis, police said, was in charge of funeral and burial services for Arianna Davis, a 10-year-old girl who was shot and critically injured while riding in a vehicle with her parents and siblings on Mother's Day in DC and died days later.
Just before her burial at Washington National Cemetery in Suitland on Tuesday afternoon, police said, Chavis confronted a pastor and another person at the service who were affiliated with a different funeral company with which he had a "long-standing business dispute."
He fired two shots, one which struck and killed Banks, who had been a pallbearer, and another which grazed a woman, Prince George's County police said. He is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder in her shooting, and he is in custody at the county Department of Corrections, police said.
Police alleged in charging documents that the trouble began after Chavis arrived at the cemetery and "immediately engaged in a verbal and physical confrontation" with someone. That person went to his car "realizing the circumstances were inappropriate to continue to argue with" Chavis.
Chavis then "directed the pallbearers," including Banks, on bringing the casket to the grave, according to charging documents. Once at the gravesite, Chavis "looked directly at" the pastor leading the services and confronted him. The pastor ignored Chavis and asked the mourners to gather at the grave. Then Chavis pushed him, according to police.
"This ain't your f------ funeral home," police said Chavis told the pastor. The pastor lost his balance, prompting several attendees to approach Chavis and question "why he was disrespecting the family."
Chavis backed up, tripping and falling over a "concrete vault lid on the ground adjacent to the grave," according to the charging documents. As Chavis landed, "he immediately drew a pistol from his waistband and fired a shot," which struck Banks, police said in the documents.
He then stood up and fired a second shot, striking the surviving victim, police said.
Chavis ran to his car and fled the cemetery, according to the charging documents. A Morningside Police Department officer pulled him over several minutes later on Suitland Road, where he was taken into custody, police said.
He "provided a statement admitting his involvement in the shooting," police said in charging documents.
When reached Wednesday, Washington National Cemetery declined to comment. Efforts to reach relatives of Chavis and Banks were not successful.
It was not immediately clear whether Chavis has an attorney.
The Washington Post