The early hours of Wednesday, October 29, turned tragic on a usually quiet stretch of the 2000 block of Smallwood Drive in Waldorf, Maryland when gunfire erupted and claimed the life of 31-year-old Charles Arlando Hamilton. According to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, officers were called to the scene at 12:14 a.m. after receiving reports of shots fired.
When deputies arrived in the parking lot outside a vehicle, they found Hamilton and another individual suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the best efforts of first responders, Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and is said to be in critical condition.
Investigators say an unknown assailant opened fire multiple times outside the parked car and then fled the area. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office are currently reviewing surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses, and collecting forensic evidence in hopes of piecing together what happened that night.
The mood in the Waldorf neighborhood is heavy with shock, sorrow and unanswered questions. Hamilton’s friends and family remember him not for the way his life ended, but for the warmth and kindness he shared with those around him. “Charles, you were one of a kind. You didn’t deserve this. Your memory will live on in our hearts forever,” read one tribute on social media.
As of now no arrests have been publicly announced, and authorities are asking for the public’s help. Anyone who may have seen or heard something in the early morning hours on Smallwood Drive is urged to contact Detective Johnson at 301-609-6453. Tips can be submitted anonymously via the Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS, online at charlescountycrimesolvers.com, or through the P3Intel mobile app.
In their statement, the sheriff’s office described this as a “senseless act” that tore a promising life away and left another person fighting for theirs. They reaffirmed their commitment to working “around the clock” to bring the responsible party or parties to justice.
For the community of Waldorf, Wednesday morning’s gunfire was more than a news report—it was a painful jolt of reality. Neighbors say they want more than just answers; they want safety. They want accountability. And most of all, they want to hold on to the memory of a man who, by all accounts, lived with an open heart, left the room brighter than he found it, and whose life didn’t end the way he deserved.