Washington DC’s Crime Decline Stops at the Doors of MGM National Harbor
Posted on: June 28, 2026, 08:10h.
Last updated on: June 28, 2026, 08:10h.
- A 33-year-old Virginia man was fatally shot after an alleged road rage confrontation inside the parking garage at MGM National Harbor
- Police say the suspected gunman later called 911 and turned himself in
- The killing is the latest violent incident at MGM National Harbor, highlighting ongoing public safety concerns in Prince George’s County despite falling crime rates in nearby Washington, DC
Crime in Washington, DC, has experienced a measurable decline, with homicides down 39%, robberies dropping 20%, and property theft 25% lower. But just miles outside of the nation’s capital, violent crime, including murder, remains an epidemic.
Last Thursday, police responded to reports of a single-vehicle accident near the MGM National Harbor parking garage in Oxon Hill, Md. Officers with the Prince George’s Police Department (PGPD) said they found 33-year-old Christopher Austin Jr., of Alexandria, Va., around 11:10 pm in a Polaris Slingshot three-wheeled autocycle along Monument Avenue.
Austin was discovered to have been shot multiple times. Austin was declared dead at the scene.
Suspect Turns Himself In
The PGPD determined through its preliminary investigation that a road rage incident began inside the MGM National Harbor parking garage between Austin and 36-year-old Tyrell Harrison of Accokeek, Md.
It appears the suspect initiated an argument with the victim. Hairston then exited his vehicle, approached the victim in his slingshot autocycle, and shot him. Following the shooting, the victim drove away and crashed nearby,” the police report detailed.
About 20 minutes after the shooting, police say Harrison called 911 and turned himself in. Harrison remains in custody at the PGC Department of Corrections.
There’s no evidence to suggest that Harrison and Austin knew one another, and that the shooting solely stemmed from road rage while the two tried to leave the MGM parking garage, which is located underneath the casino and hotel.
Harrison is expected to be formally charged on Monday.
MGM National Harbor Crime
The $1.4 billion MGM National Harbor is located only seven air miles south of the White House, but in terms of crime and safety, it’s worlds away. While the National Guard and increased policing have resulted in crime reduction in DC, across the Potomac River, communities continue to be riddled with crime.
Prince George’s County has for decades experienced among the highest violent crime rates in Maryland. Historical segregation and concentrated poverty have been cited for PGC’s struggles.
Maryland greenlit MGM National Harbor with the thinking that the casino would bring new jobs and tax revenue to the county. It has, but the casino hasn’t solved the county’s crime problems.
Last December, a 23-year-old DC man waiting in line at the MGM National Harbor food court, called the National Market, was shot and killed in front of hundreds of bystanders. Police later determined that it was a targeted shooting, with a 22-year-old from Fort Washington as the assailant.
In May 2024, a 28-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested for murdering a 37-year-old Washington man at 4:50 am inside the MGM parking garage. Police determined the two did not know each other and that the shooting stemmed from road rage.
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