Artell Cunnigham: Serial carjacker who killed former Trump official Mike Gill shot dead by police
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
MARYLAND, UNITED STATES: A 28-year-old serial carjacker died at the hands of the police around 4.30 am last Tuesday, January 30, after hijacking multiple vehicles and causing the deaths of two individuals.
To provide context, Artell Cunningham's initial victim was Mike Gill, a married father of three, shot on K Street NW in Washington, DC, around 5.45 pm last Monday.
Unfortunately, Gill succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Saturday, February 3. Gill was a former Trump administration official.
Merely 90 minutes later, Cunningham fatally shot Alberto Vasquez Jr, a father of two, in a separate carjacking nearby. He then continued his crime spree, stealing more cars at gunpoint.
Following these tragic incidents, Cunningham was confronted by two New Carrollton Police officers and ultimately killed on the northeast outskirts of DC's Maryland suburbs.
The confrontation occurred after the suspect had committed a series of carjackings and violent acts, resulting in a deadly outcome.
What did the police say?
As reported by Dailymail, Assistant Chief of DC Police Jeffery Carroll mentioned that Cunningham had a criminal history and appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.
According to arrest records, Cunningham was taken into custody on April 8, 2021, on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing officers, and failure to obey police instructions.
Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb addressed concerns about the rising crime rate, emphasizing that the solution could not solely rely on prosecution and arrests.
Speaking at an event on understanding juvenile carjacking, he asserted, “'We as a city and a community need to be much more focused on prevention and surrounding young people and their families with resources if we want to be safer in the long run."
How did Mike Gill and Alberto Vasquez Jr die?
Mike Gill became the initial victim in Cunningham's violent spree. At 7.05 pm, just moments later, the assailant attempted another carjacking on 3rd Street NE, but the attempt failed.
Gill, an education lawyer, was shot inside his car while picking up his wife. As he staggered out of the vehicle and collapsed, his wife rushed to his side, holding his hand as he lay on the ground, one foot still inside the car, his right hand twitching.
At 7.17 pm, Cunningham shot Vasquez at 3rd Street and N Street, stealing his car, later found in Takoma Park.
Cunningham continued his rampage with additional carjackings around DC and its suburbs, including assaulting a taxi driver and stealing his car in University Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, at 11.23 pm.
Around 2.30 am, Cunningham shot the windscreen of a Maryland State Police trooper's car, and by 3 am, he sprayed bullets at the door of a DC Police officer's car as it drove past.
New Carrollton Police traced the stolen car to a laundromat on Annapolis Road, where it was discovered disabled by the side of the road. Approaching the scene, Cunningham walked up to the officers, brandishing two handguns. He was subsequently shot and later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
How did the victims' families react?
Gill's wife, Kristina, expressed gratitude for the support from family, friends, and the community after her husband's sudden death, confirming the heartbreaking news.
She described Gill as a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend, highlighting his ability to bring people together and make them feel included, supported, and loved.
Gill's extensive career in government included roles as the GOP representative on the Washington Board of Elections and chief of staff to CFTC chairman Christopher Giancarlo.
Colleagues, including Giancarlo, paid tribute to Gill's remarkable qualities and the tragedy of his loss. She said, “Words cannot express the tragedy of the loss of this fine man, colleague, and cherished friend. He will be sorely missed and long remembered.”
Jacob Walker, Vasquez's father, mourned the loss of his son at the age of 35, emphasizing the senselessness of the tragedy and the impact on Vasquez's daughters, expressing the profound pain and disbelief at having to bury his child over a carjacking.
He claimed, “'What do we do? Where do we go, you know? He didn't have to die. He didn't have to die. He didn't deserve to die. Not like this."
