In the late summer of 2017, the life of a young man from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was tragically cut short. Kenneth Williams Jr., a 25-year-old male, was inside an apartment on Barnum Street on the afternoon of August 24, 2017, when he was fatally shot. The incident prompted a swift response from law enforcement, who descended upon the apartment complex and began an investigation that would soon lead to an arrest.
The man identified as the suspect in the shooting was Lashawn
Sanders, who was 26 years old at the time of the incident. In the immediate aftermath, Sanders was taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide. An investigation by the Stroud Area Regional Police and state police uncovered a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number at the scene, leading to an additional charge against Sanders for possession of a firearm with an altered serial number. In the early stages of the case, it was reported that Sanders claimed the shooting was an accident, alleging that he was unaware the gun was loaded.
As the legal process unfolded, the initial charge of criminal homicide was later amended. In a subsequent court proceeding, Lashawn Sanders entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. In addition to the manslaughter charge, Sanders also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer number. This plea acknowledged his role in the reckless handling of a firearm that resulted in the death of Kenneth Williams Jr. Following his plea, Sanders was sentenced for his involvement in the fatal shooting.
