On the morning of June 4, 2020, a gathering to mourn a lost friend in St. Louis, Missouri, became the scene of another tragedy. Darius Houston, a 21-year-old Black man from Hazelwood, had traveled to the Walnut Park East neighborhood to attend a funeral service. As he was leaving the service near the 5500 block of Gilmore Avenue, he was struck by gunfire in the chest.
Emergency responders rushed him to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
A 2018 graduate of St. Mary’s High School, Houston was remembered as a standout basketball player and a joyful student who was "famous for always wearing a smile." His former school and coaches publicly expressed their grief, recalling him as a much-beloved leader on the court. The sudden violence shocked the community, particularly as it occurred in broad daylight outside a place of worship, forcing mourners to witness another death while paying respects to a previous loss.
For nearly a year, the case remained open as investigators searched for the person responsible. A breakthrough came in June 2021, when authorities tracked a suspect hundreds of miles away to Houston, Texas. Police there arrested 38-year-old Alan Williams, who had reportedly fled Missouri following the incident.
Williams was charged with felony murder in connection with Houston’s death and extradited back to Missouri. Investigators stated there appeared to be no prior relationship between the two men, characterizing the shooting as a random act of violence. After more than two years of legal proceedings, the case reached its conclusion. In September 2023, Alan Williams accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to the charges against him. He was subsequently sentenced to 22 years in prison for the death of Darius Houston.
