On his 30th birthday, Sunday, December 19, 2021, Lewis Edward Watkins III was fatally shot in Newport News, Virginia. A graduate of Statesville High School, he was employed as a field technician. He was known to be a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, enjoyed fishing, and served as a mentor to many.
That afternoon, Newport News police were called to the 1300 block of Garden Drive for a shooting. They found Watkins outside an apartment building with multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred just a day after the community had gathered nearby to rally against gun violence.
The subsequent police investigation led to the identification and arrest of a suspect. Jhamari Alexander Townes Winns, 21, of Hampton, was taken into custody in July 2022. He faced a series of charges, including first-degree murder, shooting a firearm in a public place causing injury, reckless handling of a firearm, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and carrying a concealed weapon.
