A former Trump administration official who was shot and killed in an attempted carjacking in downtown Washington, D.C., has died, the family of the victim confirmed to The Hill.
“It is with deep sadness that I want to inform the community of the passing of my husband, Mike Gill,” Gill's wife Christina Gill wrote in a statement. “His sudden departure has left a void in our lives that will never be filled.”
Gill, a married father of three who worked at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission during former President Trump's White House tenure, was shot and killed in his car in the 900 block of K Street NW last Monday, a family spokesman confirmed last week. .
He was in critical condition at the time of the incident, but later succumbed to his injuries.
Christina remembered her husband as “a devoted husband and father” and a cherished son, brother and friend.
“During his remarkable career, Mike brought people together and made them feel included, supported and loved,” she wrote. “His heart was evident in everything he did through his guidance and deep friendships with those who worked with him professionally. Above all, Mike spoke with pride and love of his family, especially our children, Sean, Brian and Annika.”
The DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a suspect – Later identified as Ardell Cunningham28, approached a parked car, got inside and shot Gill, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office.
Cunningham allegedly fled on foot and unsuccessfully attempted to abduct another man an hour later, but the victim fled the scene and reported the incident to police, DC police said.
Then about 10 minutes later another man and woman drove up in a car in Northeast D.C., asked for the keys, shot the man and drove away, police said. The police said that the person who was later admitted to the hospital died.
The car was later found in Prince George's County, Maryland, where police said Cunningham had attempted two other car thefts. Around 3 a.m. Tuesday, he was spotted driving one of the carjacked vehicles on the highway and fired at a police cruiser, police said.
New Carrollton Police Department officers later confronted Cunningham who allegedly produced two handguns. Both officers opened fire on the suspect, who was arrested and later died at the hospital.
At the time of his death, Gill worked as senior vice president for capital markets at the Housing Policy Council, was an attorney and previously served as a member of the DC Board of Elections.
Ed DeMarco, chairman of the House Policy Council, remembered Gill as “an outstanding lawyer, public servant, colleague and community member” who “gave his time and talents to serve his country, his city, his church and his community.”
“Mike's death is a tremendous loss to the Housing Policy Council and the Washington, DC community, which has lost a great citizen, neighbor, colleague and friend,” she wrote in a statement to The Hill.
The crime spree follows growing concerns over a rise in car thefts and shootings in and around the nation's capital.
The Justice Department announced last month that it is stepping up its fight against violent crime and carjackings in Washington.
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