Amari Rayshad DeMarcus Williams, 19, was shot and killed on May 29, 2023, in Aiken, South Carolina. He was sitting in a parked vehicle near the intersection of Redd Street and Tennessee Avenue, close to Redd Street Park, with his fiancée Cesilie Weatherford and a juvenile passenger when another vehicle approached and gunfire erupted into their car. Williams was struck in the head and was taken to Aiken Regional Medical Centers, where he died shortly afterward; the two passengers survived.

Family described him as affectionate and not someone who sought trouble, and they publicly worried he may not have been the intended target. Investigators documented bullet holes in the car and sent his body for autopsy as the Aiken Department of Public Safety and the coroner’s office continued the inquiry. On June 13, 2023, authorities announced the arrest of Jaden Mitchell of Greenwood on charges including murder, two counts of attempted murder, and three counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime; reporting differed on Mitchell’s age.

The shooting interrupted a simple evening of family visits, leaving a family already grieving over the loss. If anyone knew Amari, saw activity near Redd Street Park that night, or has information about the incident, please come forward.