DaQuan D. Williams, known to his loved ones as "Daddie," was a 17-year-old student at Southwind High School in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a young Black man with his life ahead of him, but it was tragically cut short in an act of violence in the fall of 2023.
On the evening of Friday, November 3, 2023, just after 5 p.m., DaQuan was at the Sonic Drive-In located at 4130 Kirby Parkway in the Hickory Hill neighborhood of Memphis. The restaurant, situated near Kirby High School, was a typical gathering spot, but on this day, it became a crime scene. According to a police affidavit, a man arrived in a red SUV, driven by another person, to confront someone he believed had broken into his wife's car earlier that day. The man, identified as the passenger, got out of the vehicle, approached a group of men, and pulled out a handgun. He fired at least two shots. DaQuan was struck in the chest.
Emergency services rushed him to Regional One Health in critical condition, but he did not survive his injuries.
The Memphis Police Department responded to the shooting and quickly began an investigation. Initially, they detained one man, and by the next day, they confirmed two men were being held for questioning. Detectives used surveillance camera footage from the area, which captured the red SUV leaving the scene. They were able to trace the vehicle to its owner, who told police he had driven the passenger to the Sonic. The owner identified the shooter to the authorities.
Based on the evidence and witness statements, police arrested 55-year-old Timothy Moore in connection with the fatal shooting. In December 2023, Moore was charged with first-degree murder, criminal attempted first-degree murder, employing a firearm with the intent to commit a felony, and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. Court records indicated that Moore had a prior conviction from 2004 for criminal attempt first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery, for which he had been sentenced to 18 years. He was scheduled for a court appearance on December 18, 2023.
Family and friends mourned the sudden and senseless loss of DaQuan. His funeral services were held later that month. A visitation took place on Friday, November 17, 2023, at T.L. Redmon Funeral Home in Cleveland, Mississippi, followed by a funeral service the next day at United Baptist M.B. Church, also in Cleveland. He was laid to rest at Delta Heights Memorial Gardens.
The case against Timothy Moore is proceeding through the Shelby County justice system. As of the latest available information from December 2023, the investigation was ongoing, and the charges against Moore represented the first step toward seeking justice for DaQuan Williams. The community was left to grapple with the loss of another young life to gun violence, a recurring tragedy in Memphis and cities across the country.
