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Prince George's police made an arrest in one south county killing reported on Thursday, while a suspect in connection to a separate shooting on Thursday turned himself in.

Brian Hinkle, 32, of the 5200 block of 4th Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., was arrested in connection with the triple shooting that killed 18-year-old Kyree Efrem Simms, of the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Avenue in Southeast Washington, D.C., and left another man and a woman in critical condition, said Cpl. Larry Johnson, a Prince George's County Police Department spokesman.

Hinkle was charged with first-degree murder and is being held by the Prince George's Department of Corrections without bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in the District Court of Prince George's County on April 22. No attorney was listed on state online court records today.

Johnson did not know the date and time of the arrest.

In a separate case, 29-year-old James Allen Payne, of an unknown address, turned himself in early this morning after police put a warrant out for his arrest in connection with the death of 31-year-old Gregory Lucious Lawton Jr. Lawton was found dead in the stairwell of his apartment complex in the 4400 Block of 23rd Parkway in Temple Hills at about 9:35 p.m.

Police believe Payne and Lawton had an argument that led to Payne shooting and killing Lawton, according to a press release issued by police.

Payne was wanted for first-degree murder, but will not be arrested until proper steps, like going before a judiciary commissioner, are completed, Johnson said.

In the Suitland shooting outside an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Victory Lane, police found Simms dead. He had multiple gunshot wounds.

The other man, 20, who remains in critical condition, was taken to an area hospital, Johnson said. After responding to the call around 4:20 a.m. Thursday, police also learned that a third victim, an 18-year-old woman, had already been transported to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition, Johnson said.

Police do not release the names of living victims.

A tag reader from the apartment complex assisted in identifying the suspect, Johnson said.

"Eyewitness statements saw him leaving the scene, and the suspect also admitted that he was on scene," Johnson said.

awaite@gazette.net

Correction: A tag reader helped identify the suspect.