Scott Staten

Scott Staten was a teenager rooted in Southeast Washington, D.C., who lived on the 400 block of Xenia Street SE. At 17, he embodied a stage of life full of plans not yet realized: school years behind him or nearly so, friendships and family connections that shaped his days, and the ordinary hopes young people carry as they look toward adulthood.

Neighbors and those who knew Scott would have known him as part of his community near Nationals Park, the everyday backdrop to routines, school runs, and gatherings. Though public records about his personal hobbies, school, or workplace are limited, the few verified facts show a young person whose life was tied to a particular neighborhood of the city — a detail that helps us remember him as an individual rather than a statistic.

On December 8, 2010, Scott’s life ended after he was fatally shot in an alley behind the 1300 block of Half Street SW, near Nationals Park. Police identified him as a 17‑year‑old resident of the 400 block of Xenia Street SE and asked the public for information while the investigation was ongoing. That loss left an absence for people who cared about him and a reminder of the value of every young life.

Public information about Scott’s life beyond these facts is limited in the available record. That scarcity is a reason to treat what is known with care: Scott was a real person connected to a neighborhood and to people who mourned him. Remembering him means acknowledging the life he had and the promise of years he did not live to see.