Shooting on the Grounds of Watkins Elementary School Yields 32 Years in Prison for D.C. Man

WASHINGTON - Antonio Hawley, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court for the October 2021 shooting death of 26-year-old Aaron Wiggins on the sports field of Watkins Elementary School, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

"A flag football rivalry ended in murder. Antonio Hawley fired 17 shots at Aaron Wiggins and killed him," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to senseless violence. Today's sentence cannot undo that loss, but it sends a clear message: if you take a life through violence, you will face serious consequences."

Hawley was found guilty on February 3, 2026, of one count of first-degree murder while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. Hawley was 18 years old at the time of the shooting. The Honorable Judge Danya Dayson ordered him to 32 years of incarceration to be followed by five years of supervised release.

According to the government's evidence, at approximately 9:45 p.m. on October 6, 2021, Hawley and Wiggins were playing against each other in a flag football scrimmage on the sports field of Watkins Elementary School when the field lights cut off. The two teams decided to finish one last play, and Wiggins caught the winning touchdown, ending the game. Throughout the game, there was continued trash talk between Wiggins and members of Hawley's team, intensifying after that final play. When members of both flag football teams started to gather their belongings to leave the field, Hawley retrieved a handgun from a teammate's bag and approached Wiggins, firing at him 17 times and hitting the victim 13 times. Wiggins died at the scene.

Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jin Park and Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case.

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