On December 3, 2025, a violent incident unfolded at the MGM National Harbor hotel and casino in Oxon Hill, Maryland, resulting in the death of Darnell Hawkins Jr., a 23-year-old man from Washington, D.C. The shooting occurred just before noon as Hawkins was ordering a meal at the establishment's food court. According to investigators, the assailant had been lying in wait for Hawkins, indicating that the attack was targeted rather than a random act of violence.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured the suspect approaching the victim and opening fire, striking him multiple times. Despite the immediate response of law enforcement and medical personnel, Hawkins succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives with the Prince George's County Police Department quickly launched an investigation, utilizing security video to identify the gunman as 22-year-old Benjamin Williams of Fort Washington. Authorities believe the two men were acquainted, although a specific motive was not immediately released. Following the shooting, Williams fled the casino, leading to a manhunt that extended into the following day. During the search, a witness reportedly informed detectives that Williams had admitted to the crime, confessing that he had "killed someone" and acknowledging the severity of his actions.
Law enforcement officers from the Fugitive Unit located and apprehended Williams in College Park during the early morning hours of December 4, 2025. He was taken into custody without incident and subsequently charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. Williams was ordered to be held on a no-bond status at the Department of Corrections while awaiting trial. The casino's food court was temporarily closed for the investigation, but officials assured the public that the shooting was an isolated event.
