In the Park View neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., on the evening of Sunday, September 10, 2017, a dispute between family members turned fatal. Antwaun Smith, a 41-year-old male, was found inside a residence in the 600 block of Newton Place NW suffering from a gunshot wound. Police responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 9:30 p.m.
and discovered Smith, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect close to Smith. Less than ten days after the incident, on September 18, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended a man in connection with the killing. The suspect was identified as Antonio Williams, 36, of Northwest D.C., who was the victim's stepbrother. Authorities reported that the two men, who lived just a block apart, had been embroiled in an argument over allegations of 'snitching'. Williams reportedly believed that his stepbrother had cooperated with law enforcement in a previous robbery investigation, which he felt resulted in a longer sentence for him. This simmering resentment is believed to have culminated in the fatal confrontation.
Following his arrest, Antonio Williams was charged with second-degree murder while armed for the death of his stepbrother. The case proceeded through the court system, and at a later hearing, Williams accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. This plea brought a legal conclusion to the tragic death of Antwaun Smith, a life cut short by a familial dispute.
