In the early morning hours of July 5, 2022, a party on the basketball court outside the Clinton Baden Community Center on North Clinton Avenue in Rochester, New York, turned into a scene of chaos and violence. Amid the gathering, shots rang out, leading to the tragic death of 24-year-old Willie Wofford and the wounding of three other individuals. The scene was so tumultuous that emergency medical services were initially unable to reach Wofford.
Responding Rochester Police Officers attempted to perform life-saving measures before he was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in a patrol car, where he ultimately succumbed to his five gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify Joshua Williams as the assailant. In the weeks following the incident, Williams fled the state in an attempt to evade capture. However, with the assistance of the United States Marshal Task Force, he was located and arrested in North Charleston, South Carolina. Another individual, a parolee, was also charged with gun crimes in relation to the incident.
Joshua Williams, who was 29 years old at the time of his conviction, was brought to trial. In October 2023, a Monroe County jury found him guilty of murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. On December 8, 2023, Williams was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Willie Wofford.
