He aspired to be a chef, but the pandemic put his dreams of opening a food truck on hold.

       Instead, Christian Gabriel Monje started driving a school bus in Fairfax County and eventually transitioned into a related office job, his sister said. She said her brother had concentrated on moving ahead, even as food remained his passion. His Instagram page is filled with pictures of chicken and pasta and other culinary creations.

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       The 29-year-old who grew up in Fairfax County was shot in downtown Washington after visiting a friend over Memorial Day weekend. He died Thursday after his family said he spent 17 days on life support at George Washington University Hospital.

       Police said Monje was shot about 4:30 a.m. on May 30, at 17th and Rhode Island Avenue NW, between Scott Circle and Massachusetts Avenue, an area with restaurants and businesses.

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       Paola Monje, 31, said police told the family her brother had been robbed and shot in the head, all his possessions taken but a single credit card found buried in his pants pocket.

       “He was in such a safe area,” she said. “We’re in shock. It can’t be.”

       A D.C. police spokeswoman said the investigation is in its early stages and no arrest has been made. She confirmed robbery is being looked at as a possible motive. The death has been ruled a homicide.

       There have been more than 90 victims of homicide in the District this year, a roughly 13 percent increase from the same period in 2021. Killings have climbed in the city each of the past four years, and violent crime is a top concern for residents and a mayor facing a primary on Tuesday in her bid for a third term.

       Violence has continued in recent days. About 4:10 a.m. Saturday, police said Terrell Gerald Johnson, 41, of Southeast, was fatally shot at Mississippi Avenue and Atlantic Street in Southeast, on the border of Congress Heights and Bellevue. Shortly after 6 a.m., police said Israel Minger, 27, of Northeast, was fatally shot in the 1500 block of F Street NE in the Kingman Park area.

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       On Thursday, police said Dimaris Smith, 42, of Southeast, was fatally shot in the 1300 block of 46th Street SE, near Bowen Road in Benning Ridge. That shooting occurred one day after and two blocks from where 16-year-old Deandre Coleman was fatally shot on Hillside Road in Southeast. Police said they have no evidence to suggest a connection.

       D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III spoke of rising violence at an event on Friday to announce $20,000 signing bonuses for new recruits to put more officers on the streets. Contee talked of recent victims, including Coleman, and of opportunities forever lost to people “because they are tragically killed.”

       Monje graduated from Robinson Secondary High School in Fairfax County. His sister said that he had gone into the District to meet a friend he had not seen in a long time and was apparently attacked as he headed home.

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       Paola Monje said her brother was funny and upbeat and loved her son, his nephew. He was into music and could most often be seen with his ear buds. He was known as “Chef Dembow,” a tribute to his culinary skills and a genre of music popular in the Caribbean rooted in rap and reggae.

       His Facebook page includes photos of his family and food. Paola Monje said she is considering quitting her job at a bank and starting a food truck to honor her brother. She does not cook, but she is going through his social media posts to find his favorite foods she can replicate them later.

       “It’s something I’m going to really work toward,” she said. Paola Monje said she is not sure what type of food she might make, nor the theme, for the truck. But she knows the name: “Chef Dembow.”