Kendrick Williams, 36, a Black man from Forrest City, was fatally shot the night of May 23, 2025, near Mississippi and Alabama streets in Marianna, Arkansas. Officers found him gravely wounded and he was pronounced dead; a 39-year-old woman who had been with him was taken to a local hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division joined the inquiry at the request of Marianna Police and Highway Patrol Troop D, and Williams’s body was sent to the state crime lab for official cause and manner of death.

The shooting occurred on a quiet residential block and drew investigators who canvassed the area for witnesses and evidence over the weekend. Authorities did not immediately identify a motive or say what led up to the gunfire, and in the days after the shooting no suspect information or arrests had been released as the investigation remained active. If anyone saw or heard anything near Mississippi and Alabama streets on the night of May 23, 2025, contact investigators with tips or information.