Christopher Cain Jr., a 19-year-old man from Memphis, Tennessee, was killed on December 3, 2022, after gunfire erupted at the Pershing Park Apartments in the Frayser area. He was Black. When officers arrived at the 3700 block of Pershing Park Drive, police reported finding him suffering from a gunshot wound; the shooting had unfolded quickly, turning an ordinary Saturday into a scene of panic and flashing lights.
Investigators said the violence traced back to a dispute earlier that day at the apartment complex. Police stated that Cain had gotten into an argument with Artavious Williamson, and hours later Williamson returned to the apartments with two brothers, Ajaylin Williamson and Alexavier Williamson. According to police, Artavious confronted Cain again and challenged him to a fist fight. As Cain went to open the apartment door, police said Ajaylin produced a gun and shot Cain in the chest.
The brothers then fled together, police said, and surveillance video captured them leaving the scene. Cain was transported to Regional One Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. In the days that followed, detectives worked to piece together witness accounts and video evidence as the case shifted from a neighborhood shooting to a charged homicide investigation.
By December 5, 2022, authorities announced arrests and charges against all three brothers. Police said Ajaylin Williamson was charged with second-degree murder. Artavious Williamson was charged with attempted second-degree murder. Alexavier Williamson was charged with attempted second-degree murder as well, along with drug-related charges—possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture/deliver/sell and possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture/deliver/sell—and a firearm charge for possession of a weapon in the commission of a felony.
