DC Man, 19, Charged In Killing Of 10-Year-Old Arianna Davis: Police

WASHINGTON, DC — Authorities on Monday said a man has been charged in connection with the Mother's Day killing of 10-year-old Arianna Davis, who died when she and her family were caught in an exchange of gunfire.

Koran Gregory, 19, of Southeast D.C., was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, Acting Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference Monday. The arrest came more than five months after Davis' death.

"Arianna and her family were innocent victims caught in the middle of senseless gunfire," Smith said at the news conference. "This has to stop. I've said it over and over and over again. This type of senseless violence has to stop."

According to police, Davis was celebrating Mother's Day with her family on May 14 when the car she was riding in became trapped in a barrage of gunfire in the 3700 block of Hayes Street in Northeast D.C. Davis was in the car's backseat when a stray bullet hit her, police said.

According to authorities, Davis' family drove her to a nearby DC Fire & EMS station, where first responders took her to the hospital. She died three days later from her injuries, police said.

Police said information from community members was "invaluable" leading up to Gregory's arrest.

"The death of Arianna was a senseless tragedy. The Metropolitan Police Department extends our deepest condolences to Arianna's family, and we hope this arrest helps bring some semblance of peace," Smith said. "We are incredibly grateful to everyone who assisted in bringing this case to justice."

Davis was the youngest of 191 people, including 14 other children, who have been killed so far this year in D.C., the Washington Post reported.

Davis' June funeral was also marred by violence and tragedy. The owner of the company in charge of the child's services and burial was charged with murder and attempted murder after fatally shooting a pallbearer at the funeral and injuring a woman.

• RELATED: 1 Killed In Shooting At 10-Year-Old's Funeral In PG County

According to police, Wilson Chavis, 48, of Hughesville, was charged in connection with the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Ronald Steven Banks of Washington, D.C. at a Prince George's County, Maryland, cemetery on June 6.

Police said that during Davis' burial service, Chavis confronted two people during the event. The people were affiliated with a second funeral service company with which Chavis had a long-standing business dispute, police said.

According to authorities, several funeral attendees were upset with Chavis and confronted him about his behavior. A preliminary investigation suggested Chavis pulled out a gun and fired two shots, hitting both victims. He then left the cemetery in his vehicle, police said.

Several minutes later, an officer with the Morningside Police Department saw Chavis and stopped him, police said. He was taken into custody, according to authorities.

Banks was taken to the hospital, where he died, according to police. A woman also was grazed by a bullet, police said.

D.C. police said they believe more suspects were involved in the shooting. A $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction is available. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division and the FBI Washington Field Office have also offered an additional $10,000 each, bringing the total possible reward amount to $45,000.

Anyone with information should contact police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department's text tip line by sending a text message to 50411.