D.C. Man Gets 36 Years in Prison for Shooting Death Over BBQ Grill Argument

WASHINGTON – Irv Duff, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 36 years in prison, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia stemming from the shooting death of Darnell Gibson, 26, in August 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Duff was found guilty of one count each of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence on June 23, 2026. The Honorable Michael Ryan ordered Duff to serve a 36-year prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release. 

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:30 p.m., August 1, 2023, Duff got into a verbal dispute with his girlfriend in the stairwell of the girlfriend’s walk-up apartment. During the argument, the defendant threw a grill sitting in the hallway that belonged to the victim, Darnell Gibson. When Mr. Gibson came out of his apartment, he started arguing with Duff about knocking over the grill. The defendant and the victim continued to argue as the defendant’s girlfriend retreated into her apartment. Duff challenged the victim to come outside to fight, and the victim agreed, and got ready to go outside. Duff retreated to his vehicle parked in the street and called his girlfriend to warn her there was about to be a shootout. The victim then walked outside, followed closely by the victim’s girlfriend. The victim and Duff, separated by at least 60 feet from each other, hurled insults at one another when, moments later, Duff took out a pistol and fired 22 rounds of automatic gunfire toward the victim and his girlfriend. The hail of bullets narrowly missed the victim’s girlfriend. Mr. Gibson, as he tried to run away, was cut down by three shots to his upper torso, all from behind, killing him instantly. Duff then fled the scene in his vehicle.   

Duff was arrested on December 8, 2023, and has been in custody since. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Hall and Wes Faulkner, who prosecuted the case. 

2023 CF1 009215 

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc