Update on Homicide on Watkins Football Field

Update on Homicide on Watkins Football Field

by Larry Janezich

Posted October 7, 202l

Additional details on the homicide which occurred about 9:45pm Tuesday night on Watkins football field are now available.  Some of these come from an email CM Charles Allen sent out last night:

“Wanted to share a quick update on a tragic event tonight. There was a shooting and homicide on the Watkins football field tonight. From what I’m being told, two people in the flag football league were having an argument throughout their game and when it ended, the argument continued. It seems one individual pulled a handgun out of his bag and shot the other individual while still on the field. That individual then fled the scene. However, MPD has already recovered the handgun and has very strong leads and details on a suspect. MPD leadership expects they’ll be on the field a good part of tonight to make sure they canvas and recover all shell casings and do the forensics work necessary. Their goal is to be done by the morning and have the entire site clear in time for staff arriving at the school. It’s possible however that they may need to come back and do a daytime canvass of the field to ensure they have all evidence and shell casings.

“This violence is absolutely inexcusable and all indications appear it was between two known people that escalated a conflict quickly, but I’m glad to see that MPD has recovered a handgun and has solid leads to close this case quickly with an arrest hopefully.”

Allen, Ward 6 Councilmember, is Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety.

Additional details – which CHC cannot confirm – came in response to CHC’s posting to community listservs of a link to a story on the shooting published by The Hill Rag this morning. 

In response to that posting, CHC received an email from a Capitol Hill resident which stated that “the victim’s 2-year-old child was at the scene when the shooting occurred, according to the police scanner last night.”

ANC6B Chair Brian Ready told CHC that the ANC will ask MPD to update the community on the homicide next Tuesday, October 12, at the full ANC virtual meeting.  Details on how to join the meeting will be posted Sunday night in the CHC feature, “The Week Ahead”.  In addition, Ready said that he is planning to have a longer meeting with MPD on crime on Capitol Hill in mid-October.  Details will be posted here and on the ANC website.