Attempted murder and damage to property are two of the fourteen charges 28 year old Jason "Soup" Williams faces for allegedly going on a wild shooting spree across the south side on Saturday night. It is a spree, which police say left two women injured, thousands of dollars in damages to five vehicles, and a community in terror. Even more alarming than the shooting spree is what caused it. Here's more.
Keith Swift Reporting,
He hid behind another prisoner and later put a shirt over his head to escape our camera as he was escorted in and out of court this afternoon - but police say 28 year old Jason "Soup" Williams wasn't hiding his face or his gun on Saturday night when he went on an indiscriminate and wild shooting spree. The shooting spree began here at the corner of Euphrates Avenue and King Street when a Toyota Camry that Williams was traveling in, collided into a marron Mitsubishi Montero. By all accounts it was a minor accident but police say Jason Williams had a major problem with it.
Cpl. Gerald Jones,
"This individual collided into another vehicle at the corner of Euphrates Avenue and King Street and as a result of the collision, one of the assailants, because it was established, that three persons were in the vehicle, and one of the assailants fired shots at random."
That shot hit Myrna Young but lead investigator on the case, Corporal Gerald Jones, says it didn't end there - at least not for "Soup" Williams. He was armed, apparently under the influence, and police say enraged when he raced down King Street and onto West Canal.
Cpl. Gerald Jones,
"This vehicle continued on King Street and turned right into West Canal and this individual continued to fire shots of which bullets were lodged in two other vehicles and this person continued to drive his vehicle and upon reaching on Kut Avenue, his vehicle stopped in front of a green in color Geo Prizm in which Miss Ruth Tillet at the time was driving and this individual came out of the vehicle and continued to fire shots that broke her windshield and as a result of that, she got injured. This person continued and the vehicle was intercepted on Supal Street."
This is the vehicle that was intercepted - a Toyota Camry. It is unlicensed but police say it belongs to "Soup" Williams, even though he was the passenger on Saturday night. Corporal Jones says the police haven't pinned down a motive they do believe it was simply a random act of extreme lawlessness.
Cpl. Gerald Jones,
"At this point in time we don't have a motive as yet. We are still investigating the matter as two other persons were involved in the incident."
Keith Swift,
Were these people targeted or was it just random?
Cpl. Gerald Jones,
"At this point in time we are still investigating whether there were targeted or not but from the way how the investigation is being carried out, they were just citizens driving on a normal night. I don't believe they were targeted."
Not targeted, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Williams was denied bail and is due back in court on December 1st. Williams has so far refused to name the other people who were in the car with him. Williams has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of deadly means of harm, one count of wounding against Ruth Gillett, a count of dangerous harm against Myrna Young, two counts of aggravated assault, damage to property, and possession of unlicensed ammunition. Police have not recovered the nine-millimeter gun used in the incident.
