"Targeted shooting" inside MGM National Harbor in Maryland leaves 1 dead

One man was killed in what police are calling a targeted shooting inside the MGM National Harbor casino in Prince George's County, Maryland Wednesday afternoon.

Prince George's County Police said they responded to MGM just before noon for reports of a shooting at the food court. When they arrived, they found one man dead.

On Friday, police announced that 22-year-old Benjamin Williams, of Fort Washington, was arrested on charges of murder, assault and gun possession for the shooting that killed 23-year-old Darnell Hawkins Jr., of Washington, D.C.

"It wasn't random," Police Chief George Nader said. "This person did not happen upon this person. It appeared that they were looking for this person, chased him down, and the shooting occurred right there in the food court."

Contrary to early police reports, nobody else was injured in the shooting.

Police said security video shows the gunman in the parking lot for several minutes before entering the casino.

"It seemed like he knew where the victim was," Nader said. "The victim was ordering food, the suspect appeared and immediately began shooting at the victim."

The shooter then fled the casino in a vehicle, according to police, before an arrest was made nearly 14 hours later. 

Investigators are reviewing video footage from the casino and the surrounding area.

The food court at MGM National Harbor was closed on Wednesday afternoon, but the rest of the casino remained open.

Nearby schools were briefly placed in lockdown.

"We have not had crimes like this at the National Harbor," Nader said, citing a 32% drop in violent crime at the casino this year.

MGM National Harbor is in Oxon Hill, about 45 miles southwest of Baltimore and 10 miles south of Washington, D.C.