On a Sunday afternoon, February 6, 2022, in Utica, New York, 43-year-old Aaron Vernell Higgs was fatally shot in the back of the head while sitting in the passenger seat of a car. The incident occurred at approximately 1:55 p.m. outside the Fastrac convenience store located at 1800 Genesee Street. Utica Police Department officers responded to the scene and pronounced Higgs deceased upon their arrival.
The investigation quickly identified a suspect, 38-year-old Anthony Willis of Utica,
who had been seated in the backseat of the same vehicle. The driver of the car was inside the convenience store at the time of the shooting and was not considered a suspect. Police determined that the shooting was a targeted attack, although a specific motive has not been publicly established. Surveillance footage and witness accounts led officers to a residence on Noyes Street where Willis was apprehended without incident later that same day.
At the time of his arrest, Willis was found in possession of a significant quantity of narcotics and over $40,000 in cash. A handgun was also recovered from the vehicle where the shooting took place. Willis was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and several counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Anthony Willis initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, he later pleaded guilty to the murder of Aaron Higgs. During the legal proceedings, Willis did not provide a clear motive for his actions, stating only that he was not in his right state of mind at the time of the incident. On August 8, 2022, an Oneida County Court Judge sentenced Willis to 21 years to life in prison. The conviction brought a measure of closure to Higgs's family, though the reason behind the tragic and public shooting remains a mystery.
