Kenyatta Oglesby pleaded guilty Monday to one count of second-degree murder and four counts of malicious wounding.
DUMFRIES, Va. — A 23-year-old man faces at least 40 years in prison for a shooting that left four people hurt and a 3-year-old girl dead in January 2023. According to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Kenyatta Oglesby pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a 40-year prison term on Monday. He also pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated malicious wounding for shooting the four others, including three children.
Oglesby will be sentenced for the malicious wounding charges on May 21, 2026.
The shooting happened at a townhouse complex in Dumfries on Jan. 4, 2023.
When officers arrived at the house on Milroy Drive, just off of Jefferson Davis Highway, they found one person suffering from a gunshot wound outside the home. More officers arrived and were told there may be more victims inside.
Police walked into the house and found four more juveniles who had been shot in the basement of the home. One of the victims, a 3-year-old girl, died from her injuries. She was later identified as Journee Carroll Ward.
The four other victims include a 17-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl. All four teenagers were taken to an area hospital for help with serious, life-threatening injuries. A 14-year-old boy was also inside the house at the time of the shooting but was not injured.
Investigators began canvassing the area for a specific person of interest in the deadly shooting. An officer found someone matching the person of interest’s description at a nearby business and took him into custody. Police say the man, identified as 20-year-old Kenyatta Lee Oglesby, became “uncooperative” when he was questioned about what may have led up to the shooting.
Officers say Oglesby appeared to be in a relationship with the 17-year-old girl and had been staying at the home on Milroy Dr. The two allegedly got into a fight at the house, where Oglesby is accused of shooting the 17-year-old outside the home and the other four victims.
Four of the victims, including the 3-year-old girl who was killed and the 14-year-old boy who was not injured, are siblings who live at the home. The fifth victim, a 17-year-old boy, also lived at the home but was not related to the other teens.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth offered the following comment:
“The decision of Mr. Oglesby to use a firearm in a domestic argument had tragic yet predictable consequences. Not only did four people suffer serious gunshot wounds with life lasting consequences, but an entire family lost the joy of a three-year old child who was gunned down. The senseless and horrific actions of Mr. Oglesby will not be tolerated in our community.”