Michael “Mike” Gill, 56, a former D.C. election official who was shot and critically wounded Monday evening in downtown Washington during an hours-long crime rampage in the District and Maryland, died Saturday, police said.
Gill, a senior vice president of the Housing Policy Council — a trade association — was married and the father of three grown children. A St. Louis native, he was a graduate of the University of Dayton, the former coach of his daughter’s youth soccer team and a member of the parish council at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Northwest Washington, where at Saturday evening’s Mass he was honored during intercession prayers.
Known for his Midwest charm, Gill also worked on Capitol Hill and served three terms as an appointee to the D.C. Board of Elections, his wife said in a statement, where his “unwavering sense of fairness” found a home. He didn’t shy away from difficult policy problems and brought warmth and humor to every discussion.
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“He was dedicated … to ensure that our elections are open and fair,” the board said in a statement Saturday, “and he contributed to that mission in hundreds of meetings, events, and interactions over his seven years on the Board.”
People who knew him described him as highly competent and also self-effacing. He was devoted, they said, to his work and to his community, and was genial and good-natured, smart, outgoing, and witty. He brought people across the political spectrum together — ensuring everyone felt included and creating an extended family of friends.
He served with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal agency that oversees commodities markets, under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. On Sunday, Trump posted online that Gill had been “wonderful and brilliant … a SPECIAL PERSON.”
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Gill drove his new Jeep early Monday evening to pick up his wife, Kristina, at her law office near Mount Vernon Square. He called and told her he was waiting downstairs.
But according to authorities, a man climbed into his vehicle and shot him. His wife found him on the sidewalk, his head resting in a halo of blood, one foot still inside the Jeep. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
“It is with profound sadness that I wish to inform the community of the passing of my husband, Mike Gill,” she said in a statement Saturday night. On Sunday, D.C. police confirmed that Gill died of his injuries.
“His sudden departure has left a void in our lives that can never be filled. In this time of grief, we are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the community, and extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has reached out to offer condolences and assistance,” Kristina Gill said. “Thank you for respecting our privacy as we mourn the loss of an incredible man.”
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Michael Gill was the second person to die as a result of the series of crimes that authorities attributed to one man. The first man killed was identified as Alberto Vasquez Jr., 35, who was fatally shot in a carjacking.
The man who police said was responsible for the rampage was killed by police early Tuesday. He was identified by authorities as Artell Cunningham, 28, of Suitland, Md.
From Monday evening to Tuesday morning, in addition to attacking Gill, Cunningham committed or tried to commit at least four carjackings and fired shots at two police vehicles, police said. Cunningham was thought to be undergoing a psychiatric crisis at the time of the events, law enforcement officials said.
Drew Maloney — a friend of Gill’s for 15 years, ever since their daughters befriended each other in kindergarten — said Gill’s impact was felt “far and wide” across Washington. His death “left a void in our lives that can never be filled,” said Maloney, president and CEO of the American Investment Council.
“Mike’s life represented everything right about how we should live our lives — and his senseless death represents what is wrong in our communities,” Maloney said in a statement. “... We should take this moment to challenge government officials to do more to provide the basic safety and security that all families in Washington DC deserve.”
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