Funeral Service Provider Arrested For Fatal Shooting During Girl's Burial In Suitland

SUITLAND, MD — A 48-year-old Hughesville man has been charged with murder in the shootings of two rival funeral service workers at a Suitland cemetery during the burial of a gun violence victim. One person was killed by the gunshots.

Wilson Chavis of Hughesville faces charges in connection to the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Ronald Steven Banks of Washington, D.C., who was serving as a pallbearer at a burial service held at the cemetery Tuesday afternoon around 1:15 p.m.

The funeral was for 10-year-old Arianna Davis, who was in a car with her family May 14 when she was hit by a barrage of gunfire in the 3700 block of Hayes Street off Kenilworth Avenue, Patch reported. The family drove to a Washington, D.C., firehouse in the 1500 block of C Street Southeast and Arianna was taken to the hospital in critical condition. She died several days later.

In Tuesday's shooting, Banks died after being taken to the hospital. A woman was grazed by a bullet.

Chavis owns a funeral service company that was providing the funeral and burial services, according to Prince George's Police. While the burial service was starting, Chavis confronted two people who are affiliated with a second funeral service company that Chavis reportedly has a long-standing business dispute with.

Police reported that several funeral attendees became upset with Chavis and confronted him about his behavior. A preliminary investigation suggests Chavis pulled out a gun and fired two shots, hitting the man and woman.

He then drove off in his vehicle. Several minutes later, an officer with the Morningside Police Department saw Chavis and conducted a traffic stop. He was taken into custody.

Chavis has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, attempted first- and second-degree murder, and related charges, authorities said.