Funeral home director allegedly shoots down pallbearer of a rival funeral home during burial of 10-y

Publish date: 2024-05-09

The burial of a 10-year-old girl who was a victim of a drive-by shooting turned tragic when a funeral home director allegedly shot and killed a pallbearer from a rival funeral home. The incident occurred at Washington National Cemetery in Suitland, Washington, DC, on June 6.

The suspect, identified as Wilson Chavis, 48, reportedly had a long-standing business dispute with Freeman Funeral Services, a competing funeral home. Reports indicate that Chavis, the owner of Compassion and Serenity Funeral Home, shot and killed Ronald Banks, 30, who was serving as a pallbearer at the funeral.

During the burial, the situation escalated when Chavis confronted a pastor and another individual associated with Freeman Funeral Services. This confrontation led to Chavis making provocative statements and allegedly assaulting the pastor before ultimately opening fire. The violence resulted in the death of Ronald Banks and a leg injury to a cousin of the deceased 10-year-old girl, Arianna Davis. Chavis was subsequently arrested at a traffic stop following the shooting.

In the aftermath of the incident, the mother of the deceased girl expressed deep trauma and grief, lamenting the additional tragedy at her daughter’s burial site. It was revealed that prior to the shooting, Chavis had a history of threatening and harassing behavior towards Freeman Funeral Services. Glenda Freeman, the head of the funeral service, had filed for a temporary peace order against Chavis, seeking protection for herself and her employees, including the pastor who was targeted during the burial.

Despite these distressing events, the temporary order filed by Freeman was dismissed when she failed to appear for a scheduled hearing on the same day as the shooting. The incident has left the community and the families involved reeling in shock and trauma.

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