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A suspect has been arrested for shooting a man to death inside the food court at MGM National Harbor on Wednesday, police say. Darnell Hawkins Jr., 23, died after 22-year-old Benjamin Williams, “viciously murdered” him, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said during a Thursday news conference. “Today we mourn the death of a young 23-year-old who had his full life ahead of him,” Braveboy said. Williams “laid in wait” outside the MGM before going inside and shooting Hawkins multiple times, Prince George’s County Police Chief George Nader said. He then drove off in a car, according to Nader. Extensive surviellance video at MGM captured all of it, and helped police quickly identify Williams as the suspect, Nader said. The hotel and casino in Oxon Hill, Maryland, has numerous security cameras. Officers arrested Williams about 2 a.m. Thursday at a home in College Park, Maryland, Nader said. Hawkins was ordering food at the time of the shooting. There was no scuffle or interaction between the two before the suspect opened fire, Nader said. The motive for the shooting is still unclear, he said. Williams, of Fort Washington, was charged with first- and second-degree murder and gun-related charges. He is in jail without bond. “We have not had crimes like this at the National Harbor and crime in MGM and National Harbor is down approximately 32% for violent crime this year. So it’s rare that incidents like this occur,” Nader said. Some schools in the area were briefly put on lockdown Wednesday as a precaution. Authorities have reiterated the area is safe. The food court was back open on Thursday. “This was a targeted attack and there is no general safety issues at MGM,” Braveboy said. “MGM is safe. The harbor is safe,” Nader said Wednesday. “This was a targeted incident. We believe it would have folded out anywhere once these two individuals came into the same area.” When asked about security concerns, Nader said during Thursday’s news conference that MGM is secure, likening it to other large business and public spaces. “You don’t get checked for weapons when you go into a shopping mall,” he said. He clarified that security does do weapons checks in the casino portion of MGM. One woman told News4 Wednesday she was upset to find out about the shooting when she went to MGM in the afternoon to get lunch. “I can’t believe it. Where’s the security? Where is the security? This is supposed to be a secure place with all the people coming in here with the amounts of money that I’m sure that they have on them, they need to have better security and that’s all I can say,” she said.

Many police officers at Dulles International Airport suddenly were fired or resigned after what the airport calls administrative and criminal investigations. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has its own police department with 225 officers. Weeks ago, eight officers left. MWAA said in a statement that their criminal and administrative investigations into allegations of possible misconduct and MWAA policy violations began in August, adding, in part, after the administrative investigation “eight officers have been separated from employment.” “The criminal investigation has been completed and will be referred to the Loudoun County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for review,” the statement said. Citing privacy and legal concerns, MWAA didn’t add more detail. But the I-Team learned from a source with direct knowledge of the investigation that it centers on allegations of illegal or improper payments from limo or ride-share drivers to officers. The goal, according to the source, was to let those drivers solicit rides in the terminal, which is against airport rules and against the law, which MWAA police officers are supposed to enforce at the airport. The way it normally works is the passenger calls a limo service or ride-share to arrange an airport pickup or pulls up an app to get a ride home. If drivers don’t use a ride-share app, it raises questions about driver identity, ride tracking, rates and insurance coverage, among other things. While MWAA said the “Police Department expects its officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity,” and that, “We thoroughly investigate all allegations of misconduct, and violations of law or policy will not be tolerated,” it didn’t share any details of the officers’ possible misconduct and how it could have affected passengers. News4 asked those questions more than once again on Thursday morning but received no answers. Get the D.C. area’s top news and weather delivered to your inbox every morning. Sign up for First & 4Most, our free newsletter.

Widespread snowfall blanketed much of D.C., Maryland and Virginia Friday, and some areas saw as much as 3 inches. Snowfall totals varied widely depending on the area. Places north of D.C. only saw a trace, but southern areas near Fredericksburg and Fauquier County, Virginia, have upward of 3 inches, Storm Team4 Meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts said just before noon. Most snow ended by about 12:30 p.m. or so, with the exception of a few flurries. But a refreeze and freezing drizzle are possible Friday night, threatening ice accumulation and slick roads and walkways. A winter weather advisory is in effect until 1 a.m. School districts across the region to opened late or were closed for the day. See a full list of delays and closures here. News4 saw flakes sticking to Interstate 95 near Stafford, Virginia, in the 5 a.m. hour, and road crews were treating slicks spots in the Fredericksburg area. Flurries of large, fluffy flakes were seen falling in downtown D.C., plus the suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, by 8 a.m. As flakes piled up, several school districts announced they would close instead of opening late. Others opened two hours late. But Montgomery County Public Schools decided to open on time Friday. Some parents told News4 they disagreed with the decision. “Could’ve just kinda given the kids a break, for sure. You know, it’s kinda cold out here. We kinda need a break for the kids, you know?” one mom said. “It was rough. Some buses didn’t show up. Our bus was late. I saw three accidents driving my kid to school,” another mom told News4. “All indicators pointed to light snow with no expected impact to bus routes or school buildings. That is exactly what we saw this morning. Schools and offices opened safely and smoothly, and instruction and services continued. Based on the information we had, this was the right call,” MCPS said in part in a statement. Crashes reported amid snowfall Crews pretreated major roads, but the snow made for a wet and slow morning commute. Shortly before 11:30 a.m., Virginia State Police reported there have been 141 crashes across the state since midnight. Multiple people were injured in those crashes. No one died, state police said. VDOT Northern Virginia said crews are treating slick spots, and asked the public to limit travel or go slowly. Drivers can go here to check on current road conditions throughout the state. Slow travel on the Capital Beltway and other travel woes were reported as the snowfall persisted into the late morning. Multiple crashes were reported in Montgomery County, Maryland, including a crash that blocked all lanes of northbound Interstate 270 at Maryland Route 189. Traffic was getting by on the shoulder, but delays were building, transportation officials said about 8:30 a.m. It’s unclear if snow caused the crashes. A crash blocked all lanes of US-1 (Richmond Highway) near VA-286 (Fairfax County Parkway) in the Fort Belvoir area, the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination (MATOC) Program said. An extended closure was expected. Prince William Parkway eastbound reopened after it was closed at Coloriver Road Friday morning until the road could be treated, Prince William County police said. The Thomas Johnson Bridge in Solomons, Maryland, was shut down in both directions after multiple crashes involving several vehicles, Calvert County authorities said. The snow tapered off to flurries Friday afternoon and ended soon after. Cold temperatures this weekend will help any snow on the ground stick around. Temperatures will top off in the low 30s Friday afternoon, so temps will be running about 20 degrees below normal. See all weather alerts here. Here are the school closures and delays Several school districts announced closures and delays. In Virginia, several public school districts announced closures, including Culpeper County, Fauquier County, Fredericksburg, Loudoun County, Manassas Park, Orange County,…

In a watershed move, Warner Bros. Discovery announced Friday it has agreed to sell its streaming and studios assets to Netflix in a deal valued at $82.7 billion, setting the stage for one of the most sweeping and consequential mergers in modern Hollywood history. If approved by federal regulators, the transaction promises to create a new entertainment and media behemoth, uniting the world’s largest streaming destination with a storied 102-year-old film studio. Warner Bros.’ portfolio includes HBO, the HBO Max streaming platform and the “Harry Potter” movie franchise. Netflix, home of “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game,” reaches more than 300 million paid subscribers across over 190 countries. “Our mission has always been to entertain the world,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, in a news release. “By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we’ll be able to do that even better. “Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos added. Netflix’s takeover of Warner Bros. ushers in a new era for Hollywood, which has evolved from a business focused on theatrical exhibition to an increasingly digital-first industry. The acquisition cements Netflix’s market dominance and expands the company’s content library as it faces off against tech giants like YouTube and TikTok. The deal would give Netflix access to popular and lucrative intellectual property, including DC Comics characters such as Batman and Superman; the “Game of Thrones” TV saga; and a vast trove of titles stretching from “Casablanca” and “Dirty Harry” to “Dune” and “Barbie.” In the lead-up to the announcement, Netflix attempted to reassure the creative community by reportedly promising to release Warner Bros. movies in brick-and-mortar cinemas. But many filmmakers are skeptical of Netflix’s business model, which prioritizes streaming distribution. In a news release Friday announcing the deal, the two companies said that the acquisition would be a mix of cash and stock that valued Warner Bros. Discovery at $27.75 per share, with an enterprise value of $82.7 billion and an equity value of $72 billion, which takes into account Warner Bros. debt. As of Thursday trading, Warner Bros. Discovery’s entire market capitalization — the value of the company based on its stock price — was $60 billion. The size of Netflix’s offer for Warner’s streaming and HBO divisions was striking, with the streaming giant paying $72 billion for just those two divisions, more than the entire current company‘s $60 billion market value. To help complete the cash part of the deal, Netflix said it would take out a $59 billion bridge loan from three major banks. Warner Bros. Discovery, weighed down by billions in debt and lackluster streaming growth, formally put itself up for sale in the fall. The company’s suitors included Paramount Skydance and Comcast, which each made bids in a largely secretive process. (Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.) “Today’s announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most,” David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a news release. “For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world’s attention, and shaped our culture,” Zaslav added. “By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come.” If the deal goes through, Zaslav would not stay with the combined company, according to a source familiar with the matter. The tie-up would not include Warner-owned cable channels such as CNN, TNT and TBS. Paramount was widely seen as the…