DC Man Found Guilty In 2021 School Shooting

What began as a routine flag football game under the lights at Watkins Elementary School in Southeast Washington, DC, ended in tragedy—and, years later, a hard-fought conviction. On February 3, 2026, Antonio Hawley, 22, of Southeast Washington, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of 26-year-old Aaron Wiggins of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The verdict, delivered by a Superior Court jury, closed a chapter on a case that has haunted both families and the broader community since that fateful night in October 2021.

The incident unfolded just before 10 p.m. on October 6, 2021, on the school’s sports fields. According to the US Attorney’s Office, the evening had started innocently enough: two teams gathered for a friendly flag football scrimmage, a common sight on these grounds. The game was supposed to end at 9:45 p.m. when the field lights shut off, but the players decided to squeeze in one last play. That’s when Aaron Wiggins caught the winning touchdown, a moment that should have been cause for celebration.

But the energy quickly shifted. According to federal prosecutors and trial testimony, what began as playful trash talk escalated into something darker. As the players collected their belongings, the verbal sparring continued. Prosecutors described how, amid the heated exchange, Hawley retrieved a handgun from a teammate’s bag—a detail corroborated by witness testimony and surveillance footage—and opened fire on Wiggins. Seventeen shots rang out across the empty field, thirteen of them striking Wiggins. He died at the scene, the celebration instantly transformed into a crime scene.

Hawley fled, but not for long. Authorities said he was identified by several witnesses and on school surveillance footage. He was arrested in December 2021 and has remained in custody since, awaiting trial. The weapon, prosecutors argued, had been shared between Hawley and a close friend—who would later testify for the prosecution. Social media photos allegedly showed Hawley holding the gun earlier that same day, and witness descriptions of his clothing matched what Hawley was wearing that night.

The trial itself, presided over by DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson, was anything but straightforward. On February 2, 2026, jurors heard sharply contradictory closing arguments. Prosecutors urged conviction, painting a picture of premeditated violence fueled by wounded pride. "What is normally a celebration was turned into a funeral," the prosecution told the court, underscoring the senselessness of the act.

The prosecution leaned heavily on the testimony of Hawley’s close friend, who claimed to have seen Hawley retrieve the gun from a fanny pack resting on a tree and then fire at Wiggins. Surveillance video showed Hawley as the last person on the field before walking away with the friend. Prosecutors acknowledged that the firearm had been shared between the two, but insisted that the evidence—including the video, social media posts, and eyewitness accounts—clearly pointed to Hawley as the shooter.

But the defense, led by attorney Julie Swaney, fought back hard. Swaney argued that the prosecution’s case was riddled with inconsistencies and that reasonable doubt remained. She questioned the reliability of key witnesses, noting that some claimed Hawley wore a black ski mask, while surveillance footage appeared to show another individual. Several witnesses, she pointed out, could not definitively identify Hawley as the shooter. "There is no deposition from an unbiased witness that matches Antonio," Swaney told the jury, suggesting that investigators had developed a kind of tunnel vision. "They only focused on Antonio because that is what they want you to focus on."

Swaney also highlighted that the key witness for the prosecution had admitted to buying and bringing the gun to the game. "Don’t compound one tragedy into two," she implored the jury, arguing that convicting an innocent man would only deepen the pain already inflicted by Wiggins’ death.

In their rebuttal, prosecutors conceded that not every detail lined up perfectly—after all, witnesses were recounting a traumatic event. But they maintained that the core facts remained unchanged and that the evidence, taken as a whole, was overwhelming. "Witnesses were trying their best," they told jurors, emphasizing that they were "human beings, not robots." The prosecution rejected the defense’s suggestion that the wrong person was on trial, urging the jury to see through the confusion and focus on the facts.

The jury ultimately sided with the prosecution. Hawley was convicted not only of first-degree murder while armed, but also of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license. His sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2026, before Judge Dayson, where the court will determine the length of his punishment.

The case has stirred emotions and debate in the community. On one hand, some see the verdict as a necessary step toward justice for Wiggins and his family, who have waited years for accountability. On the other, questions linger about the reliability of eyewitness testimony, the role of trauma in shaping memory, and the broader issue of gun violence among young people in the city.

According to the prosecution, the evidence spoke for itself. Surveillance footage, social media images, and witness statements formed a tapestry that, in their view, could not be dismissed as mere coincidence. Defense supporters, however, remain troubled by what they see as gaps in the investigation and the possibility of mistaken identity. The fact that the gun was shared and brought to the game by someone other than Hawley has only fueled those doubts.

For the families involved, the trial’s conclusion brings both relief and renewed grief. Aaron Wiggins’ loved ones, who have mourned his loss for more than four years, now face the reality that nothing can truly undo the events of that October night. For Hawley and his supporters, the fight may not be over, with appeals and further legal action possible in the months to come.

As the city looks ahead to the sentencing in April, the Watkins Elementary School shooting stands as a stark reminder of how quickly lives can be changed—and how justice, when it comes, is rarely simple or without controversy. The echoes of that night, and the years of legal wrangling that followed, will not soon be forgotten by those who witnessed them firsthand.