Charles Williams Sr., a 49-year-old Black/African American man, was fatally shot on February 26, 2025, inside an apartment building near North 27th Street and West Highland Avenue in Milwaukee. Williams had reportedly been helping Terry Jefferson move into an apartment that afternoon. What began as an ordinary move ended in a violent confrontation in a second-floor hallway, where prosecutors later alleged that Jefferson shot Williams repeatedly.
Milwaukee police happened to already be inside the building shortly before 5:00 p.m., searching for a wanted person, when an officer heard what initially sounded like a loud door slamming. A few minutes later, the officer heard a rapid series of gunshots somewhere inside the apartment building. Officers rushed toward the sound and found Williams lying on the second-floor hallway floor near a large amount of blood. Terry Jefferson was standing only feet away and was holding a handgun. Police ordered Jefferson to drop the weapon and immediately took him into custody. Officers began providing emergency aid to Williams before he was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to the criminal complaint, one resident heard an initial gunshot and stepped into the hallway. The witness saw Williams on the floor and Jefferson nearby holding a black semiautomatic handgun. Jefferson allegedly first told the witness that Williams had shot himself, but then said Williams had tried to grab his gun. Jefferson asked the resident to call paramedics. Williams was reportedly still attempting to move or get up at that point. The witness retreated into the apartment and soon heard approximately six or seven additional gunshots fired in quick succession.
Investigators also obtained footage from a Ring camera that captured part of the confrontation after the first gunshot. The short recording reportedly showed Jefferson standing over Williams while Williams was on the floor and not moving. A second resident told detectives that after hearing the first shot, the resident looked into the hallway and saw Williams on his knees near the elevator with his head down. Williams appeared to be reaching toward a shopping cart containing belongings. According to that witness, Jefferson was telling Williams to stay down while manipulating, or “racking,” the handgun before firing numerous additional shots. The witness said Williams was not seen holding a firearm or any other weapon.
Police processed the hallway as a homicide scene. Investigators recovered a black Taurus. 45-caliber handgun from the area where Jefferson was arrested and found eight spent. 45-caliber cartridge casings near the shooting location. The blood and ballistic evidence were concentrated in the hallway near the elevator where Williams had fallen.
During a Mirandized interview with detectives, Jefferson acknowledged firing the shots but gave an account suggesting that he believed Williams was attempting to take his firearm. Jefferson said he had been moving into the apartment and was carrying the handgun in the pocket of his red sweatshirt. Williams had been helping him unload belongings and, according to Jefferson, knew he was armed. Jefferson said he took the elevator and, when the doors opened, Williams was very close to him and began grabbing for things. Jefferson claimed he believed Williams was reaching for the firearm, causing him to draw it and fire the first shot. He believed that shot struck Williams in the face.
Jefferson told investigators that his gun malfunctioned after the initial shot and that he cleared the jam. He said he told Williams to remain down and later claimed that Williams began moving toward him and reaching for him, prompting Jefferson to fire the remaining rounds in the gun. However, Jefferson acknowledged during the interview that he never actually saw Williams holding a gun or another weapon. He also demonstrated that during the later shots Williams was not close enough to touch him, and Jefferson reportedly said Williams began backing away while still facing him once the additional shooting began.
Prosecutors charged Terry Jefferson with first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon. The charge carries the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted. Jefferson made his initial court appearance on March 2, 2025, and a judge set cash bond at $200,000. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 11. The reliable online reporting located for this synopsis documented Jefferson's arrest and homicide charge but did not establish a subsequent trial verdict, conviction, acquittal, or sentence.
