In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the afternoon of April 23, 2020, 17-year-old Tahj Williams was fatally shot in what investigators have described as a tragic case of mistaken identity. The shooting occurred in broad daylight in front of a smoke shop at the intersection of 65th Street and Dicks Avenue in the Elmwood Park section of Southwest Philadelphia.
Two other teenagers who were with Williams at the time were also wounded in the attack.
A student at South Philadelphia High School, Williams was remembered as a mild-mannered teenager who was a member of the JROTC and a tireless team player. Raised by his grandparents, he had a learning disability and was working to overcome academic challenges. He had participated in a program through the school district and Jefferson Health that introduced him to medical careers and was reportedly on a positive path.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of two men, Saedair Lindsey and Tyrek McWilliams. Surveillance footage from various sources, including Real Time Crime Center street cameras and private residences, showed the two men waiting in hiding before ambushing Williams. Lindsey was arrested on September 14, 2020, and McWilliams was taken into custody about a month later. Contents from McWilliams's cell phone further implicated both men in the crime.
Following a trial, a jury found both Saedair Lindsey, then 22, and Tyrek McWilliams, then 30, guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, two counts of felony aggravated assault, and misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person, along with related firearm charges. The deliberations lasted just one day. On November 28, 2022, both men were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Tahj Williams.
