Artis Antonio Mathis, a 39-year-old Black man, died on June 22, 2025, in Willis, Texas, after being found with a gunshot wound on the 100 block of Laurie Lane. Officers reached the scene at about 6:15 p.m., began life-saving measures, and were joined by Montgomery County Hospital District medics, but he was pronounced dead there. The case drew an immediate response from the Willis Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, which described the scene as active in the hours that
followed.
By the next day, authorities identified the victim as 39-year-old Artis Antonio Mathis and said investigators believed a 54-year-old man, Derrick Lamont Bradford, was involved in the shooting. At that time, officials reported that Bradford was cooperating with detectives and emphasized there was no ongoing threat to the public. No charges had been filed as of those initial updates, and agency statements urged anyone with information to contact detectives or Crime Stoppers.
Community pages and memorial listings later marked the loss, noting the date and city while pointing back to local reporting and public-safety releases. Those entries reiterated that the investigation originated on Laurie Lane on June 22, 2025, and that the death of the 39-year-old man was the subject of an active law-enforcement inquiry. None of the public sources added an arrest or charge beyond the early confirmation that a 54-year-old man was involved and speaking with investigators.
As the investigation continued, authorities maintained the call for tips and withheld additional specifics about how the shooting unfolded. The picture that emerges from the official statements and early coverage is a quiet residential Sunday interrupted by violence, first responders working to save a 39-year-old man, and a named adult involved who remained under scrutiny but not charged in the immediate aftermath. The case remained with the Willis Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for follow-up.
