Odessa Fleming-Williams, a 29-year-old Black woman, died on December 20, 2018, in North Charleston, South Carolina, after gunfire erupted outside her home on the 4900 block of Gaynor Avenue. Near 1 a.m., the sharp cracks of shots outside pulled her awake, and as she moved through the house toward her children, a round fired from outside pierced the exterior and entered the residence, striking her inside.
When officers arrived, the scene around the house looked like the aftermath of a sudden barrage: vehicles outside showed bullet damage, and investigators later reported finding more than 30 spent shell casings from. 40 and. 223 caliber firearms. A discarded. 40 caliber pistol was also recovered on the ground beside a shed, and detectives looked to a security camera mounted on that shed in hopes it captured what happened in the yard and street during the shooting.
Family members were outside when police got there, and investigators described a tense, hurried moment: her boyfriend and her brother were seen getting into a vehicle as if trying to leave when officers arrived, while her sister and mother were also present outside. Inside, Fleming-Williams was found lying just inside the door and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her grandparents had moved to the rear of the home with her children, trying to keep them away from the danger as the gunfire unfolded.
As the investigation began, police said they were still searching for the person or people responsible. Her boyfriend was detained for detectives to question after investigators said he had been seen walking near the shed where the pistol was found, and police planned to test his hands for gunshot residue; her brother and mother were also detained for questioning. In the publicly available reporting from the immediate aftermath, no suspect was identified by name and no arrest or charges were announced, even as investigators appealed for tips from anyone who had been in the area at the time.
In the days that followed, arrangements for services were shared publicly as loved ones prepared to lay her to rest in North Charleston. The obituary notice listed her three children—Dollaysia, Dwayne, and DeHaven Williams—along with close relatives including her mother, Detrea Fleming, her brother Tracy Lorrick, and her sister Keisa Fleming, among others.
