In the cold, early hours of Saturday, February 6, 2021, the life of Deshawn Watkins, a 22-year-old Black man and father of two from Southeast Washington, D.C., was brought to a violent end. At approximately 12:44 a.m., members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District responded to the 4800 block of Benning Road, Southeast, after hearing the sound of gunshots.
When they arrived, officers discovered Mr. Watkins inside a vehicle. He was suffering from gunshot wounds.
DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel were called to the scene, but after finding no signs consistent with life, they pronounced him dead. His body was later transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. In the days that followed, the department publicly asked for assistance from anyone who might have information about the homicide.
To date, no arrests have been made in the killing of Deshawn Watkins, and his case remains unsolved as of February 2021. The Metropolitan Police Department offers a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099 or submit an anonymous tip by texting 50411.
