SAN ANTONIO — It was a daylight shooting death, caught on camera by a vigilant security system, at a downtown ministry for the homeless.
It happened one year ago, but at the sad anniversary of his passing, the family of William Hawkins said there has been no justice.
The video offers a clear view of the 35-year-old man, who was a regular at the Christian Assistance Ministry, walking up to a man at a convenience store across the street.
In less than seven seconds, something went terribly wrong.
As Hawkins approached a man standing near a pickup truck, the man fired a single, fatal shot and then walked around the body of the mortally wounded man.
The video continues as the man calmly gets in his truck and drives away.
At the time, police reported the man, who has never been named, drove a few blocks, stopped and called police for help, saying he had been threatened by Hawkins.
At a morning memorial for Hawkins, the leader of CAM said being homeless and asking for help should not lead to death.
Dawn White-Fosdick mentioned many local service providers by name and said, “We are all working very hard to help people get off the streets and have a transformative life.”
White-Fosdick said fear should not be a factor when dealing with people who are homeless.
“We don't want community members to think they need to take things into their own hands, that there should be some reason to fear the homeless,” White-Fosdick said, adding “My only hope is that there will be some meaning out of William's life and that it will raise awareness about the humanity of people living on the streets.”
William’s mother, Margaret Hawkins, told the crowd that she knows homelessness first hand, and she hopes people will be more compassionate.
"Being homeless should not define a person's character. You never know what you are going to go through in life. It can happen to anyone," Hawkins said.
Overcome with emotion and fighting back tears, William’s brother said “He was pretty much everybody's big brother. He was always out to protect people, no matter what it was.”
Ronald Adam Harris said the fact the gunman has not been held responsible is hard to believe.
“I will never forget the day we met with SAPD. They told us to our face to trust the legal process because that's where you will find justice. And here we are today a year later with no answers,” Harris said, adding, "We can never depend on our justice system or our legal system to define justice. It has always failed our people."
After a ceremony that included songs, stories and shared emotion, the mourners visited the corner across the street where William died.
They placed flowers at the site and gathered for a prayer circle.
“In this moment we honor William. We remember him. He is here with us,” they prayed, as they asked for peace and justice.