Javion Williams, 22, male, Black/African American, was found fatally shot in a stairwell at the Derby at Steeplechase apartments in northwest Harris County on the night of May 25, 2025, after deputies responded around 9:14 p.m. to reports of a disturbance at the complex in the 11000 block of West Road. Investigators said an argument in the stairwell preceded the gunfire, and Williams was pronounced dead at the scene from at least one gunshot wound.
A firearm was recovered, though authorities initially said it was unclear if it was the weapon used.
Deputies detained a 24-year-old woman at the scene and later identified her as Derricka Ross, Williams' girlfriend. According to the sheriff's office, Williams had come to the apartment to retrieve his belongings when the confrontation escalated. Witnesses were interviewed as investigators worked to piece together what led to the shooting.
Authorities charged Derricka Ross with murder. She was booked into the Harris County Jail after her arrest at the complex. Reporting based on jail records indicated she remained in custody on a $150,000 bond in the days after the shooting.
News accounts and public posts from the sheriff's office described the episode as a domestic argument that turned deadly in the stairwell, with neighbors hearing a heated exchange and then a single shot. The case centered on the apartment where Ross lived, and investigators said the victim arrived with another person to collect property before the dispute broke out.
