On the evening of May 14, 2025, a dispute between neighbors in a Whitehaven community in Memphis, Tennessee, escalated into a fatal shooting. Delmon Williams, a male resident, was shot and killed on Howard Drive near Berta Road. When officers from the Memphis Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered Williams lying unresponsive in the street.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to a suspect, Williams's 74-year-old neighbor, Clarence Johnson Jr. According to the arrest affidavit, home security footage captured the incident, showing Johnson walking down his driveway and approaching Williams in the street. Johnson then allegedly fired his weapon multiple times at Williams before returning to his home. A family member of Williams informed police that Johnson had been making threats to kill his brother in the weeks leading up to the deadly confrontation.
Following the investigation, Clarence Johnson Jr. was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The motive for the shooting appears to stem from a long-standing feud between the two neighbors. Johnson reportedly believed that Williams was poisoning his grass and stealing his mail. Johnson was booked into jail and was awaiting a bond hearing.
