Family mourns loved one killed during vigil at Prince George's County park

A man was shot dead during a candlelight vigil in Prince George’s County last Friday, leaving his family heartbroken and searching for answers.

Morris Haskins Jr., 43, was attending a vigil with around 50 people at Walker Mill Regional Park to honor the memory of another person who had been killed in an unrelated incident. 

According to Maryland-National Capital Park Police, shots were fired into the crowd, striking Haskins. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Haskins’ family spoke with FOX 5’s Shomari Stone, describing him as a "good person" and struggling to comprehend the violence that claimed his life.

"I’m sad that he’s gone. It’s crazy to me. I don’t understand why we always got to go through so much violence," said one family member, who asked to remain unnamed for safety reasons. 

Another family member expressed sorrow for the young people who witnessed the violence firsthand: "It’s a tragic situation because I heard there were younger juveniles there, young kids. They saw the whole situation, so that’s very tragic."

Police said they responded to the scene within three minutes of the gunfire, finding that over 20 shots had been fired into the crowd. 

Investigators are still working to determine if Haskins was the intended target. According to police, witnesses at the scene did not cooperate with the investigation.

Prince George’s County Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.