Man Turns Himself In After Fatal Shooting at MGM Maryland Casino

A man was arrested following the fatal shooting of a 33-year-old outside of an MGM casino in Maryland, about 10 miles from the White House.

Tyrell Hairston of Accokeek, Maryland, is accused of shooting and killing Christopher Austin Jr. of Alexandria, Virginia. 

The incident, which was the product of suspected road rage, occurred late on Thursday evening, according to the police.

Fatal Maryland MGM casino shooting

Prince George’s County officers responded to a report of a crash near Monument Avenue and MGM National Avenue, on which the MGM National Harbor casino resides.

Austin was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside his Slingshot autocycle, a three-wheeled vehicle, around 11:10 p.m. local time. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A preliminary investigation revealed that both men were waiting to exit the MGM casino’s parking garage, at which time Hairston sparked an argument with Austin. 

As the debate boiled over, Hairston exited his vehicle, walked over to Austin, and shot him multiple times. Austin drove away from the casino and crashed nearby, according to records.

A prior connection between Hairston and Austin is not believed to be in existence. The isolated incident is still believed to be the result of road rage, which left the casino patron dead inside of his vehicle.

On more than one occasion

Police did not have a difficult time apprehending Hairston. Instead of needing to be cashed down, the assailant called 911 and turned himself in. He is in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

Roads in the nearby area were closed off as law enforcement investigated the shooting, while a firetruck hosed off Monument Avenue. All roads are back open at the time of writing.

Unfortunately, shootings at the MGM National Harbor are not a rare occurrence.

A targeted attack in the casino’s food court last Dec. left one victim dead. Initial reports said that a second victim had been grazed by gunfire, although that was later disproved.

Prince George's County Police Chief George Nader attempted to pour cold water on the incident, saying that violent crime was down 32 percent in the region.

“MGM is safe,” he said following the incident. “The harbor is safe. This was a targeted incident. We believe that it would have folded out anywhere once these two individuals came into the same area.”

The MGM National Harbor is a $1.4 billion property that is adjacent to the Potomac River and only separated from Virginia by a short bridge. It often services patrons in Maryland, Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia.