WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A D.C. man was convicted on Thursday in the deaths of two people who died in a house fire in 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) announced.
At the time of the fatal fire, 67-year-old James G. Walker owned an illegal “rooming house” at 708 Kennedy St. NW. The commercial property did not have a certificate of occupancy and the structure violated several fire safety codes.
Some of the rooms in the building were too small for someone to live in; some had no windows and Walker failed to install or maintain functional smoke alarms throughout the building, including the basement, the USAO stated.
There was also no unobstructed way to escape the building in case of an emergency.
Multiple security gates required keys from both sides – one of which blocked access from the kitchen to the front door.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) had given Walker specific warnings on March 21, 2019, that the building violated fire safety codes and caused hazardous conditions.
“He was instructed to correct the conditions and have the building inspected for residential use. He did not,” a news release read.
On the morning of Aug. 18, 2019, a fire erupted in the building’s basement, where three people lived at the time.
Fitsum Kebede, 40, and 10-year-old Yafet Solomen were not able to escape.
They died from thermal burns and smoke inhalation.
Prosecutors said Walker knew the danger posed by the living conditions at the property and consciously disregarded the extreme risk. In doing so, he caused the death of Kebede and Solomen, the USAO said.
He was charged on Jan. 16, 2020.
Walker was found guilty on Feb. 20, 2025, on two counts of second-degree murder, and 27 criminal building code violations.
