Malakai Williams was a 21-year-old Black man whose life was cut short in a violent attack in Houston, Texas. Also killed in the incident was 26-year-old Naryssa Wright. According to her family, Malakai was the nephew of Naryssa's boyfriend. Naryssa was remembered by her father and sister as a loving sibling, a caring mother, and a gracious daughter who adored music and people.
Her death left behind her five-month-old daughter, Kai, and what her father described as a "really empty void."
The double homicide occurred around 4:50 a.m. on January 17, 2022, inside an apartment in the 300 block of West Little York Road. Houston police officers responded to a call about a disturbance and discovered a horrific scene. Malakai Williams was found in one area of the apartment, deceased from a gunshot wound to the head. Naryssa Wright was found in another part of the residence, also with a gunshot wound to the head. She was transported to HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest, where she was pronounced dead. Naryssa’s infant daughter was also inside the apartment but was physically unharmed.
The investigation began immediately. Another resident of the apartment told police they heard a gunshot, then saw an unknown suspect shoot Naryssa. The gunman also fired at the witness before fleeing the scene. Within a month, investigators had identified a suspect.
In February 2022, authorities charged Dondre Williams, then 20 years old, with capital murder for the deaths of Malakai Williams and Naryssa Wright. After a search, Dondre Williams was apprehended and taken into custody.
The case concluded in a Harris County courtroom in December 2025. A jury found Dondre Williams, then 23, guilty of capital murder. During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Naryssa Wright was clutching her baby when she was killed, and she was shot through her hand as she tried to shield the child. In his closing argument, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told the jury, "He took these two special people from all of us." Following the guilty verdict, Dondre Williams was sentenced to life in prison.
