A man who pleaded guilty to a shooting at a Ballston apartment building in 2025 was arrested late last month in a D.C. homicide.
Malachi Rawlings, 23, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a woman in Southeast D.C. earlier this year, the Metropolitan Police Department announced on Aug. 2.
Rawlings was previously arrested around 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day last year following reports of gunfire at Marymount University’s Placemakr building in Ballston. He was accused of initiating a “firefight” in the elevator lobby of the building’s 10th floor after a verbal dispute.
Law enforcement located the suspect, who himself had been shot in the foot, outside the building. Another victim, who had been shot in the hand, was taken to Virginia Hospital Center. Neither injury was deemed life-threatening.
Rawlings was found to be equipped with an extended magazine and an auto sear device, “converting [it] from semi- to fully automatic,” according to a criminal complaint.
He initially faced six felony charges, including aggravated malicious wounding, use of a machine gun for an aggressive purpose and discharging a firearm within a building.
However, Rawlings ultimately pleaded guilty to only two charges: unlawful wounding and possession of an auto sear. He was granted a deferred adjudication, avoiding prison time.
“Mr. Rawlings pled guilty to two felonies and was sentenced by the court,” Kara Simon, spokesperson for the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, told ARLnow. “The Commonwealth’s position in the case was set forth in court filings and public hearings.”
Now, investigators in D.C. have accused Rawlings in connection with the death of 30-year-old Jasmine Malone, whose body was found the morning of May 12.
“Upon arrival, officers located an adult female who was unconscious and not breathing suffering from gunshot wounds,” police wrote. “DC Fire and EMS responded, and despite all lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead on the scene.”
Rawlings was arrested on July 31 on a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant.
A man of the same name and approximate age as Rawlings was also previously charged with firearm offenses in D.C. in 2022 and early 2024, according to Metropolitan Police Department press releases.
