Naman Shrestha
A regular night in May 2024 in the life of 15-year-old La’Kyijah Williams turned into something unexpected when the outing with her friends turned deadly for her. When the news about her untimely and tragic demise broke out, the entire community was shell-shocked and outraged, while grief took over her loved ones. Thanks to the CCTV footage of the crime scene, the police were led to the prime suspect who wore a mask during the time of the incident. The episode titled ‘The Girl on the Scooter’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘All Access PD: Grand Rapids’ provides a detailed account of the entire case with the help of insightful interviews with La’Kyijah’s loved ones and the officials connected to the case.
La’Kyijah Williams Was Killed in Grand Rapids While She Was With Her Friends
La’Kyijah Tina’Marie “Anna’Mae” Williams entered the world of Walter J. Williams, Jr. and Shaqueta M. Mathison on January 19, 2009, in the form of a little bundle of joy. Born in Saint Joseph, Michigan, La’Kyijah grew up in the company of her ten siblings, including six sisters — Dayveiannah H. London, Antonia L. London, Lamia J. Foster, Da’Nia J. Holling, Da’Monei J. Holling, and Michaela N. Williams — and four brothers — Jourale D. Langston, Xzavior L. Williams, Walter J. Williams, III, and Xzavion Leon’Tre Williams. Having a vibrant and joyful personality, she had the ability to brighten up any room she walked into.
It allowed her to make many friends, with whom she made some wonderful memories. A student of Lighthouse Academy School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she was also into sports like football and basketball. Inspired by her favorite player, Stephen Curry, she was determined to become the best in basketball. She could be spotted working on her ball-handling techniques and finding ways to be more agile to get past her opponents during games. Given her sporting talent and sense of humor, she was respected and loved by her peers. She had a bright future ahead of her, but she did not get a chance to turn her dreams into reality as fate intervened.
Around 11:40 pm on May 18, 2024, the 15-year-old girl lost her life in the area of Ottawa Avenue Southwest near Oakes Street Southwest, which is near Studio Park south of Van Andel Arena, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was simply riding her scooter with some of her friends. Before midnight, the authorities were called to the scene of the crime, where they found the teenager with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, which proved to be fatal. As they taped the perimeter and inspected the scene, they launched a homicide investigation immediately.
La’Kyijah Williams’ Alleged Killer Intended to Shoot Someone Else
As part of the investigation, the police initially interviewed La’Kyijah Williams’ friends and other potential witnesses who were at the scene of the crime when the shooting took place. Fortunately, the entire incident was captured on a nearby surveillance camera. Upon going through the footage of the fateful night, the detectives spotted the shooter walking with various juvenile subjects before pulling out a gun and pulling the trigger four times and fleeing the scene. After several months of chasing multiple leads and evidence, the authorities identified Josiah Tyree Pittman as the alleged shooter who was responsible for the killing of 15-year-old Lakyijah Williams. On September 23, 2024, Josiah was charged with second-degree murder and using a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the crime and was booked into the county jail.
The prosecutor stated, “It was horrible. This was not a random act of violence. There was a target. Unfortunately, Miss Williams was not the target. She was just downtown minding her own business and got hit.” According to the prosecution, the shot that hit La’Kyijah was intended for someone else, who was also allegedly in the same area as hers. Chief Eric Winstrom expressed his opinion about the incident, stating, “There’s a lot of people downtown. A lot of individuals on bikes, on scooters, on foot. It’s a very vibrant and thriving downtown. So the idea that you’re going to take a handgun and shoot an individual 10, 15, 20-feet, however far away, it’s an extremely cowardly act. You have no idea where those rounds are going to go.”
Josiah Pittman is Currently Awaiting His Trial
As 18-year-old Josiah Tyree Pittman was getting arraigned on the charges against him, the judge denied his bond due to the seriousness of the charge and the safety concerns of the community. If the accused is found guilty of murder, he would likely receive a life imprisonment sentence in addition to two years for the felony firearm conviction. In November 2024, he was ordered to stand trial on an open murder charge. The defense attorneys of the accused asked for the dismissal of the charge or that he be bound over on the lesser second-degree charge.
On the fateful night, Josiah was accompanied by three other teens, all of whom testified that they had no idea that he possessed a gun. Since he was in jail with no bond, the defense requested that the judge set a bond for the accused. Emphasizing the fact that he had no previous criminal records, the defense suggested that Josiah could stay on house arrest at his grandmother’s house in Grand Rapids and even wear a GPS tether. However, the judge declared him a danger to the community and denied his release. Held up at the county jail, the alleged shooter is awaiting his trial.
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