Royce Hawkins Washington, DC Missing: Please Help Search

Authorities in Washington, D.C. issued an Amber Alert for 2-year-old Royce Hawkins after he went missing following the fatal shooting of his mother in the Northwest area of the city.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded around 10:52 p.m. on April 21 to the 600 block of Kenyon Street NW after receiving reports of gunfire. When officers arrived, they discovered an adult woman in a rear alley suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts by emergency responders, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators later learned that the victim’s young child, Royce Hawkins, had not been seen since earlier that evening. Police said the toddler was last seen around 7 p.m. in the 500 block of Kenyon Street NW with his mother. At the time, he was described as wearing a long-sleeved yellow-and-blue striped shirt.

Authorities launched an intensive search for the child and issued an Amber Alert asking the public to help locate him. Detectives also began a homicide investigation into the shooting, which preliminary information suggests may have followed a verbal altercation between the victim and a man who then fled the scene. Later updates from police indicated that Royce Hawkins was found safe after the alert was issued, bringing relief to investigators and community members who had been anxiously awaiting news about the missing child.  The investigation into the fatal shooting of the child’s mother remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Police continue to urge anyone with information about the case to come forward as they seek justice and answers.