In the early evening hours of December 20, 2024, a dispute in northwest Oklahoma City turned fatal, claiming the life of 31-year-old Leopoldo Luna. A Hispanic male, Luna was found with a gunshot wound, lying on the side of the road near the intersection of Northwest Fourth Street and Kentucky Avenue. The call came in to police at approximately 6:30 p.m., and upon their arrival, officers tragically pronounced him dead at the scene.
This incident marked the city's 77th homicide of the year.
Investigators quickly determined that an argument had preceded the deadly shooting. The initial days of the investigation yielded no immediate arrests, and the Oklahoma City Police Department reached out to the public for any information that could lead to a suspect. The circumstances surrounding the argument remained unclear as detectives worked to piece together the events that led to the gunfire that ended Luna's life.
The investigation progressed, and on December 31, 2024, authorities made an arrest in connection with the case. Richard Lonzell Hawkins, a 57-year-old man, was taken into custody and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, bringing a significant development to the case that had cast a somber shadow over the holiday season. While an arrest was made, the investigation was said to be ongoing as the legal process against the suspect commenced.
