In the late hours of a Monday evening, the quiet of a Lanham, Maryland neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. On October 5, 2020, patrol officers responded to a call for a shooting in the 5600 block of Duchaine Drive. Upon their arrival at approximately 11:40 p.m., they discovered a man lying outside, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The man, identified as 27-year-old Tavon Davis of Laurel, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the death of Tavon Davis, a male who was known to his family as Tay and to his friends as Fat boy, quickly became a priority for the Prince George's County Police Homicide Unit. He had attended Charles H. Flowers High School and had worked various jobs, including as a driver for Metro Access. Those who knew him described him as a true friend who enjoyed helping others.
Less than a month after the fatal shooting, detectives identified and arrested a suspect. Rome Watkins, a 22-year-old from Glenarden, was taken into custody. The preliminary investigation suggested that Watkins and Davis were known to each other, although a definitive motive for the shooting remained under investigation. Watkins was subsequently charged with first and second-degree murder, along with related charges. Following his arrest, he was held at the Department of Corrections on a no-bond status, awaiting legal proceedings.
