William Michael Blackwell, a 31-year-old male from Williamsport, PA, was tragically shot and killed on December 30, 2016, in the 2000 block of Boyd Street. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. and was captured on video by a private surveillance camera. The footage showed a tall, thin black man exit a car, approach Blackwell from behind, and fire several shots into him.
The shooter then turned around and fired additional shots at Blackwell while he was on the ground.
Nearly seven years after the shooting, Williamsport police filed homicide charges against Dawud M. Rogers, 42, who was identified as the shooter through interviews and eyewitness accounts. Rogers, who was serving a federal sentence for heroin distribution at the Allenwood Penitentiary, was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior drug possession conviction. Several 9mm casings were found near Blackwell's body, and Rogers was charged with aggravated assault, illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of an instrument of crime.
Blackwell had multiple gunshot wounds, including to his abdomen, right wrist, right arm, and torso, which were named as the cause of death. He was unconscious and unresponsive when paramedics arrived but was later pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The investigation revealed that Rogers had accompanied a witness to a local auto repair shop along Boyd Street shortly before the shooting. The witness testified that Rogers waited in the passenger seat of a blue-ish gray Volkswagen sedan while Blackwell arrived separately to pick up his recently repaired vehicle.
The case took several years to progress, with charges being filed only in September 2023. Rogers is currently awaiting trial on the charges related to Blackwell's death. The delay in charges and the potential connection to an October 2015 shooting near Park Avenue and Grier Street, for which Blackwell was charged but later released, remain unclear.
In summary, William Michael Blackwell, a 31-year-old male, was fatally shot by Dawud M. Rogers, who has since been charged with multiple offenses related to the incident. The case highlights the complexities and delays often encountered in criminal investigations and the pursuit of justice.
