Gimme Your Shoes

Arrests made in fatal shooting of Suitland High School student, police officials say

Prince George’s County police have arrested five people who authorities say were involved in shooting and killing a 15-year-old Suitland High School freshman in an incident that started as a robbery over shoes, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the case.

The five will be charged with felony murder in the slaying of Charles Walker Jr., who was gunned down Monday as he walked on 28th Avenue in Hillcrest Heights, the officials said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing and they could be disciplined for discussing the ongoing case.

All five men were in a van that pulled up alongside Walker, known as Chuck or CJ, Monday afternoon as he walked down 28th Avenue carrying a bag of shoes, the officials said. The men in the van told Walker to give up the shoes; when he tried to run, he was shot, the officials said. Officials were still working to identify which of the suspects actually shot Walker.

Six Prince George’s students have been killed since the school year began,prompting the county to start a task forceto address the slayings.

The six cases are unrelated, officials said on Tuesday, and have occurred across the county. Two were gang-related, but with no dis­cern­ible pattern, law enforcement authorities and school officials were frustrated with the continuing violence.