One man is dead and another is in custody after a shooting at MGM National Harbor casino in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
According to the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD), 22-year-old Benjamin Williams has been charged with the murder of 23-year-old Darnell Hawkins, Jr.
In a press release, the PGPD said that officers responded to a shooting at the casino a few minutes before noon on Wednesday, December 3. It was there that they found Darnell Hawkins on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Hawkins passed away at the scene.
Shortly after the shooting on Wednesday afternoon, PGPD Chief George Nader said that it appeared to be a “targeted shooting,” meaning that it is thought Williams knew Hawkins and specifically set out to kill him.
Williams was able to make his escape, and police spent the rest of the day searching for him. Because it was believed to be a targeted incident and not a random act of violence or a casino patron robbery, Naders said that Williams, whose identity was not known at the time, was not an “active threat to the community,” even though he was still on the loose.
Further details have emerged in the 24 hours since the murder. In a Thursday news conference, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said that security video footage revealed that Williams “laid in wait” for Hawkins outside of the casino. While Hawkins was ordering food in the casino’s food court, Williams made his move and shot him multiple times.
There was no interaction between the two men before Williams fired the shots, implying that Williams caught Hawkins by complete surprise. Initial reports said a bystander was grazed by a bullet, but police later said that nobody else was harmed.
Police were able to positively identify Williams from the security footage and arrested him at his home in College Park, Maryland, about an hour away, at 2:00am.
“Today we mourn the death of a young 23-year-old who had his full life ahead of him,” Braveboy said. No motive has been given for the murder.
In the meantime, MGM National Harbor kept the casino open after the shooting, but closed the food court for the investigation.
The post Suspect Apprehended in Deadly MGM National Harbor Shooting appeared first on Poker News Daily.
About The Author
