Before DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson, jurors heard sharply contradictory closing arguments on Feb. 2 in a homicide trial. Prosecutors urged conviction, while defense attorneys argued the evidence fell short in a 2021 fatal shooting.
Antonio Hawley, 22, was accused of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, along with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Aaron Wiggins. The incident occurred on Oct. 6, 2021, at Watkins Elementary School on the 400 block of 13th Street, SE.
Prosecution argued Hawley shot Wiggins after tensions rose when he scored the winning touchdown. The prosecution told the courtroom that surveillance video showed Hawley as the last person on the field before walking away with one of his close friends, who later testified as a prosecutorial witness.
Prosecutors reiterated that the witness testified he saw Hawley retrieve a gun from a fanny pack resting on a tree and fire at Wiggins. Prosecutors said the firearm has been shared between Hawley and the friend. They also pointed to social media photos allegedly showing Hawley holding the gun earlier that day and witness descriptions allegedly matching his clothing.
“What is normally a celebration was turned into a funeral,” the prosecution said.
Julie Swaney, Hawley’s defense attorney, urged the jury to acquit, arguing the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. She questioned the credibility of key witnesses, highlighting inconsistencies in testimony, including claims that Hawley wore a black ski mask, while arguing that surveillance footage showed another individual. Several witnesses also could not definitively identify the shooter.
“There is no deposition from an unbiased witness that matches Antonio,” Swaney said.
Swaney continued to argue that the prosecution’s investigation developed a sense of ‘tunnel vision’ by focusing on Hawley.
“They only focused on Antonio because that is what they want you to focus on,” Swaney stated.
She ended by noting that the key witness admitted to buying and bringing the gun to the game.
“Don’t compound one tragedy into two,” Swaney said as she urged the jury not to send an innocent man to prison.
In rebuttal, the prosecution acknowledged that inconsistencies were expected given the trauma of the event and argued that the evidence clearly pointed to Hawley.
They rejected the defense’s suggestion that the wrong person was charged, telling jurors that witnesses were “trying their best” to recall a traumatic incident and emphasized that they were human beings, not “robots”.
Parties are slated to reconvene when the jury reaches a verdict.
