Arrest made in murder of social worker killed by stray bullet at DC stoplight in October
WASHINGTON (WJLA) — An arrest has been made in the death of a social worker who was struck by a stray bullet in October as he commuted home from his job helping recovering substance abuse addicts re-enter the workforce.
Police chief Peter Newsham announced that 22-year-old Barry Marable of Northeast is charged with first degree murder. Police believe he was trying to shoot someone else.
Roger "Tom" Marmet, 22, was driving along the 1200 block of 17th Street, NE around 6 p.m. October 24. A ShotSpotter detected the sound of gunfire and generated a police dispatch.
According to a DC Police report, first responders located Marmet unconscious in his Jeep Liberty. Officers placed him on the ground and began issuing emergency medical treatment. An ambulance rushed the 22-year-old to MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He arrived in the emergency room at 6:21 p.m. and was pronounced dead at 6:25 p.m.
Marmet grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He attended the Maret School along Cathedral Avenue in the Woodley Park neighborhood from the fourth grade until his graduation in 2014. He went on to enroll at the University of Vermont where he earned a degree in social work in May.
“Tom was one of those students who came onto campus and shined," said head of school, Marjo Talbott. "He had a generosity of spirit that you could tell from the very beginning. He was the glue of his class."
While at the Maret School, Marmet took part in many "artistic efforts" a well as played on the school's varsity football and lacrosse teams, a school statement noted.
"After Maret, he kept in close touch with his alma mater as a Class Agent, and he volunteered his upcoming fifth Maret Reunion. He was a person who could be counted on in all ways," Talbott said.
Marmet, who went by his middle name Tom, was a member of the organization, So Others Might Eat, or SOME for short. He worked the SOME's Conway Center in Anacostia, helping recovering substance abuse addicts find jobs.
"In his SOME Volunteer Corps application, Tom stated, 'Central to my identity is a desire to help and listen to the people in my life.' That desire was something he demonstrated daily in his work at SOME," wrote Father John Adams, the president of SOME.
Following his fellowship with SOME, Marmet had planned to return to college to attain his master's degree in social work.
According to Metropolitan Police Department data, Marmet was the 135th homicide in D.C. in 2018. Last year, there were 94 total.
"Like so many other people killed by violence, his life was cut short at far too early of an age," a family spokesperson said in a written statement. "Tom's family, friends and neighbors share a sense of confusion to understand why this happened. They are actively supporting the police to find the people responsible for this senseless – but all too common – tragedy."
Police said they are offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction in the case. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099 or send a text message to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.
