In the early hours of March 24, 2018, a resident of Pennsylvania, 20-year-old Jawan Washington, was fatally shot in Harrisburg. The incident took place just before 2:00 a.m. in a vehicle parked behind Double D's Bar on South 19th Street. When Harrisburg police arrived at the scene, they discovered Washington with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Harrisburg Hospital but was pronounced dead. Another man was also injured in the shooting and required surgery at Hershey Hospital. Jawan Anthony Washington was born on March 23, 1998, and passed away just a day after his 20th birthday.
Initially, investigators were seeking three men for questioning in connection with the shooting and released descriptions of them as persons of interest. The suspect vehicle was described as a late 90s or early 2000s two-toned red and tan Ford Windstar. Subsequently, the persons of interest and the vehicle were located. The investigation, aided by security camera footage from the bar, eventually led to the identification of a primary suspect.
Authorities identified Charles Williams, 39 at the time, as the alleged shooter and issued a warrant for his arrest on a homicide charge. In June 2018, following a SWAT situation at an apartment complex in Williamstown, Williams was taken into custody. He was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder, criminal attempt, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. A forensic pathologist determined that Washington died from three gunshot wounds to his back, chest, and abdomen. Williams later appealed his judgment of sentence, but it was affirmed in June 2021.
