In the late afternoon of September 12, 2016, the life of 19-year-old Robert Wayles Watkins IV, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short in Newport News, Virginia. He was fatally shot in the chest on Thorncliff Drive in what authorities later described as a targeted attack rather than a random act of violence. Two other people were injured during the shooting, though their wounds were not life-threatening.
Watkins was rushed to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The Newport News Police Department launched an immediate investigation into the homicide. Their efforts led to a swift arrest just three days later, on September 15, 2016. A 19-year-old suspect was taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder and other related offenses in connection with the fatal shooting. The case then moved into the judicial system, with the community closely following the legal proceedings as the suspect faced the serious charges brought against him.
Those who knew Robert remembered him for his artistic abilities and his sense of humor. His unexpected death sent ripples of grief through his family and the wider community, highlighting the persistent issue of gun violence. Friends and family mourned the loss of a young life full of potential. A year prior to his death, in October 2015, Watkins, then 18, had been arrested along with four other teenagers in connection with the burglary of a gun shop. He had faced multiple charges, including burglary, grand larceny of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
