UPPER MARLBORO, MD — A funeral home owner was convicted Thursday of fatally shooting a pallbearer during the burial of a 10-year-old girl who was killed by a stray bullet in Washington, D.C.
Wilson Wesley Chavis, 50, owner of Compassion and Serenity Funeral Home, was found guilty in the killing of Ronald Steven Banks, 30, during the June 6, 2023, burial service for Arianna Miracle Davis.
Banks, a family friend of Arianna, was carrying her casket when he was shot. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
After the shooting, Chavis attempted to flee in his vehicle but was stopped by an officer from the Morningside Police Department. He later claimed he acted in self-defense, according to Prince George’s County Police.
Arianna was fatally shot by a stray bullet while riding in the back seat of her family’s car after a Mother’s Day event in Washington, D.C., the FBI said. Three men face charges in her killing.
Chavis now awaits sentencing for the shooting that turned an already tragic funeral into a deadly crime scene.