Funeral director killed pallbearer at child’s burial, MD cops say. He’s sentenced
A Maryland funeral director fatally shot a pallbearer at a 10-year-old girl’s burial when an argument unfolded during the service, authorities said.
Now, Wilson Chavis, 50, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison, “suspending all but 25 years,” in the killing of 30-year-old Ronald Banks, according to a July 11 news release from the Prince George’s County Office of the State’s Attorney.
Information on Chavis’ legal representation was not immediately available.
“This was an unthinkable tragedy — one that has caused immeasurable pain to multiple families,” State’s Attorney Tara Jackson said in a statement. “What these families and this community had to experience is something that should never happen.”
Banks was shot by Chavis while working as a pallbearer for Arianna Davis at the Washington National Cemetery in Suitland on June 6, 2023, according to officials.
The shooting was related to a “long-standing business dispute” and sent Banks to a hospital, where he died of his injuries shortly afterward, Prince George’s County Police Department said at the time, McClatchy News previously reported.
As the girl’s funeral was about to begin, Chavis confronted Banks and another woman, according to police, who said the individuals were both affiliated with a funeral service company Chavis had a history of disputing with.
During the confrontation, Chavis fired two shots, police said. One hit Banks, while the other shot grazed the woman, who was not identified.
The girl, Arianna, was killed nearly a month earlier when a stray bullet struck her May 14, on Mother’s Day, in Washington, D.C., according to 7News
“I’m so traumatized that this happened at my daughter’s burial site,” Antionette Belk, the girl’s mother, told NBC4 Washington in June 2023. “I didn’t even get to lay her down, even to put her in the ground, and another incident happened.”
Chavis’ sentencing was held July 11, after he was convicted of second-degree murder, the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and reckless endangerment on Feb. 14, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
“Our hearts remain with the families that have suffered because of this tragic incident, and we remain committed to ensuring that those who commit such violent acts are held fully accountable,” Jackson said.
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