Police said the Northwest Washington case began as a domestic-related shooting.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A woman was shot to death Tuesday morning on Wisconsin Avenue NW, and the suspected gunman was killed minutes later by police aboard a Metrobus, D.C. police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department identified the woman as 44-year-old Melissa Wallace-Pulliam of Northwest Washington. Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Shawn Dewayne Williams of Southeast Washington. Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said investigators believe the shooting was tied to a prior domestic relationship.
Officers were called at about 7:11 a.m. to the 3500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW for a report of a shooting. They found Wallace-Pulliam unconscious, not breathing and suffering from a gunshot wound. D.C. Fire and EMS crews responded, but she was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving efforts failed. Witnesses told police the suspected shooter had boarded a WMATA Metrobus nearby.
Officers stopped the bus near Wisconsin Avenue and Upton Street NW. Carroll said police began evacuating passengers before officers encountered a man matching the suspect’s description. Police said Williams reached toward a bag, pulled out a handgun and pointed it toward officers. Two officers fired their service weapons. Williams was struck and later pronounced dead at the scene.
Carroll said several people were still on the bus when officers opened fire, though most riders had already been moved off. No officers were reported injured. Police said a firearm was recovered at the scene. Carroll said the weapon had an extended magazine, which increased the danger during the confrontation.
The case brought a large police response to a busy stretch of Northwest Washington during the morning commute. D.C. police, Metro Transit Police and U.S. Secret Service officers responded near the stopped bus. Streets around Wisconsin Avenue and Upton Street were blocked while investigators worked both scenes.
Carroll called the case “a very tragic situation” and said officers reached the bus quickly after witness information helped identify the suspect and the route. He said the officers were “very tactical” in how they approached the bus and moved riders away before the confrontation.
The officers who fired their weapons were placed on administrative leave under MPD policy. The department’s Internal Affairs Bureau Force Investigations Team is investigating the officer-involved shooting. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will separately review the facts and evidence.
Police said the homicide and officer-involved shooting remained under investigation Wednesday. Body-worn camera footage will be handled under D.C. law, and investigators have asked anyone with information to contact police.
Author note: Last updated June 17, 2026.