Zakiyah Ali was 30 and a mother of two when she was shot during an argument at the InTown Suites on Two Notch Road in Columbia, South Carolina. Emergency crews arrived at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 14, 2025; she was taken to a local hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to her upper body and died there on Tuesday, September 16. The Richland County Coroner’s Office ruled her death a homicide.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department identified and arrested 33-year-old Jerry Williams in connection with the shooting. He was initially charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime; after Ali’s death the charge was upgraded to murder. Authorities said a dispute preceded the shooting, but have not released detailed specifics about what happened.

Ali’s mother, Dr. Ameena J. Ali, launched a GoFundMe seeking to create a Domestic Violence Offender Registry called Kiyah’s Law in her daughter’s memory. If anyone knew Zakiyah or witnessed the events at the InTown Suites that night, can you share information with investigators?