On the night of May 18, 2024, 15-year-old LaKyijah Williams was riding a scooter with friends near Ottawa Avenue SW and Oakes Street SW in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, when gunfire erupted. LaKyijah was struck by a bullet and later died of her injuries; the Kent County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Investigators say the shooting was not random and that there was a specific intended target; LaKyijah was an innocent bystander.

The Grand Rapids Police Department reviewed witness statements and surveillance footage and in July released images of several young people believed to be witnesses, stressing they were not suspects and asking them to come forward to help. The investigation led to an arrest in September 2024 when 18-year-old Josiah Tyree Pittman was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and a felony weapons count. Authorities said the gunman intended to hit someone else but instead struck LaKyijah as she passed by on her scooter.

If anyone was in downtown Grand Rapids that night or has information about who saw what, please share tips with investigators.