Former Donald Trump Official's Death Sparks Republican Fury: 'Lawless'

Mike Gill, a former member of the Donald Trump administration, has died after being shot during a carjacking in Washington D.C.

His death has sparked fury among conservative commentators, who say that American cities are becoming lawless under President Joe Biden's administration.

A carjacker, Artell Cunningham, shot Gill on Monday, January 29, while on a crime spree. Cunningham later shot another man dead before police shot and killed Cunningham in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Gill had been the chief operating officer for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) during Donald Trump's presidency and also had a senior position in the CFTC during Barack Obama's presidency.

Laura Loomer, a pro-Trump activist and host of the Loomer Unleashed podcast, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday that Gill's death is a result of Biden's "stolen" election.

"Stolen elections have consequences. Crime in D.C. never would have gotten this bad if Trump were in office. Very sad and tragic. This didn't need to happen. Prayers to Mike Gill's family," she wrote.

Chaya Raichik, creator of the conservative Libs Of Tik Tok social media page, wrote on X on Sunday that Gill's death is "horrific"

"Democrats have turned D.C. into a lawless hellhole and this is the tragic result. RIP Mike Gill. Praying for his family," she added.

Even before Gill's death, conservative commentators had said that the shooting showed that American cities were becoming lawless.

Collin Rugg, the conservative co-founder of the Trending Politics news site, wrote on X on January 31 "Former Trump admin official Mike Gill is in critical condition after getting shot in the D.C. area by a suspected carjacker. Liberal paradise."

Mike Gill's wife, Kristina, released a written statement on Sunday morning in which he recalled her husband's warm personality.

"It is with profound sadness that I wish to inform the community of the passing of my husband, Mike Gill. 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.

"Mike was not only a devoted husband and father but also a cherished son, brother, and friend. Over the course of his remarkable life, Mike brought people together and made them feel included, supported, and loved," she wrote.

Police said during a press conference on Tuesday, January 30 that another victim was shot and killed in a separate incident that was part of a carjacking spree by the same suspect. The cross-jurisdiction incidents ended when the suspect was shot and killed by police in the early hours of Tuesday.

Newsweek has sought email comment from the White House communications department.

Gill served as the chief of staff to former chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo at the CFTC during the presidencies of both Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

After leaving the CFTC, Gill moved to become senior vice president at Common Securitization Solutions until November 2021, when he joined the housing policy council as senior vice president, according to his LinkedIn page.

Gill was attacked at about 5:45 p.m. on Monday. Police say he was sitting inside his vehicle that was parked in the 900 block of K. Street in northwest Washington when the suspected gunman, identified by police as 28-year-old Cunningham, shot him while trying to steal the vehicle. The attack on Gill was the first of many reported in a carjacking rampage.

Cunningham then fled from that vehicle and was involved in an attempted carjacking a few hours later but was unsuccessful.

There was a third attack in which Cunningham again displayed a firearm and demanded a vehicle from two people, shooting and killing a male at the 1,200 block of 3rd Street. He then took their Chrysler 200 that was later recovered in Prince George's County, Maryland.

He then hijacked a Toyota Camry before taking a Nissan Rogue ride-share vehicle.

At about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, he shot at a police cruiser on Interstate 95 South. A bullet struck the cruiser's hood but no officers were injured.

At 3 a.m., Cunningham fired at the driver's side door of another police cruiser.

Police in New Carrollton, Maryland, spotted an empty Nissan at about 4:30 a.m. Cunningham approached the officers with two firearms and was shot dead.