January 1, 2024, was a day of celebration for many people worldwide, but not for all. 18-year-old Ashlei Hinds was a young Louisiana State University student attending a New Year’s Eve party with her friends in Washington, D.C.
Little did she know that those few blissful hours were all she had left. Because only several minutes into the new year, she was cruelly stolen away by death.
Unfortunately, hers was no natural death and has now become the first homicide reported in Washington in 2024. On Tuesday, police caught the suspect, Jelani Cousin, 18, armed and charged him with the murder of Ashlei.
Cousin is facing charges of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Ashlei inside a D.C. hotel room in the early hours of New Year’s Day, Washington D.C.
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The shooting happened just before 1:20 a.m. on January 1, forever changing the lives of all involved. Her family said Hinds was celebrating with a group in a hotel room at the Embassy Suites in Friendship Heights. It is located about six miles northwest of Downtown D.C.
People in attendance included her friends and others she was not too close with. According to an area council member, the celebrations went sideways after someone was told to leave. Then came the shots.
Upon the arrival of police on the scene, they found Hinds inside the hotel room with gunshot wounds. She was dead on site. Authorities quickly swung into action. CCTV had the perpetrator on tape, so identifying him did not take long.
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D.C. police quickly disseminated CCTV screenshot images of the suspect on Tuesday, and Cousin was in custody before the end of the day. The life he took was a precious one, and already, her family is feeling the void.
According to Hinds’ parents, she was a rising star. She graduated from Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Prince George’s County. During her time there, she was the Student Government Association president and a member of the National Honors Society.
They said she was home from Louisiana State University on winter break, where she was in her first year studying sports administration. She aspired to become either a sports agent or an athletic director.
“Ashlei was a great child,” her father, Ashton Hinds, said. “I will miss her so much.”
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Hinds’ mother, Tiffany Falden, said she and her daughter still conversed around 11:55 p.m. Sunday until midnight. She said they even wished each other Happy New Year and shared “I love you” messages.
“I just want justice and any other families; I mean, it could happen to anyone,” Falden said. “I mean, nowadays, people are just walking down the street, and things are happening. Just love your family. Hold them close. Keep them around and pray it doesn’t happen to your child, family member, or anybody else.”
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