A former Trump administration official is in critical condition after being shot in an attempted carjacking in downtown Washington, D.C., earlier this week, a spokesperson for his family confirmed to The Hill.
Mike 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 Monday night while inside a car at the 900 block of K Street NW, according to Erica Richardson, a spokesperson for the Gill family.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), which did not release the name of the carjacking victim, said a suspect approached the parked vehicle shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, got inside the car and shot the driver before later exiting.
The suspect fled on foot and unsuccessfully tried to carjack another person around 7 p.m. at the intersection of Fifth and K Streets NW, police said. The victim reportedly fled the scene and called police.
About 10 minutes later, the suspect approached another man and woman in their car in Northeast D.C. and demanded the keys before shooting the man and fleeing the scene in the car, according to police. The man later died at the hospital, police said.
That car was later found in Maryland’s Prince George’s County, where police say the suspect attempted two other carjackings. At around 3 a.m. Tuesday, police said the suspect was driving one of the carjacked vehicles on the highway and shot at a police cruiser.
Officers with the New Carrollton Police Department in Maryland later encountered the suspect, who produced two handguns. Two officers shot at and struck the suspect, who was taken into custody and later died at the hospital, local officials said in a press conference.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) held a joint press conference with MPD officials Tuesday and confirmed there is “no ongoing threat” to the community.
Gill serves as a senior vice president for Capital Markets at the Housing Policy Council and is an attorney and a former member of the D.C. Board of Elections, according to his biography on the Housing Policy Council’s website.
Richardson, the Gill family spokesperson, described him as “an amazing husband, father, friend and colleague.”
“He has a wonderful sense of humor, no matter the situation. He makes friends with everyone – and is always looking for opportunities to bring people together and make them feel included and loved. His warmth and kindness have touched the lives of many, evident in the outpouring of love and support his family have received during this difficult time,” Richardson said in a statement.
“The most important thing about Mike that all of his friends know is how much he loves his family and how proud he is of his three children. You can’t know Mike without hearing proud stories of each one of his kids, and hearing about his love and respect for his wife, Kristina,” she added.
The crime spree comes amid growing concerns over rising carjackings and shootings in and around the nation’s capital. The Department of Justice announced last week it will bolster its fight against violent crime and carjackings in Washington. This will include additional law enforcement and resources, including a “multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell,” which the department said will help identify additional federal investigations that should be opened to combat such incidents.
Updated Feb. 4 at 12:26 p.m.