Victoria Lynn Perez, also identified in police reports as Vicky Williams, was a 38-year-old Hispanic/Latina female from Magnolia, Delaware, whose life ended on the evening of April 29, 2024, during a violent domestic-related shooting inside the Barrett Farm development. The call came in around 6:18 p.m., sending Delaware State Police troopers to the 100 block of Cilento Drive after reports of gunfire broke through what neighbors later described as a normally quiet community.
When
troopers arrived, they found Perez outside the home in the front yard, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. They attempted lifesaving measures, but she died from her injuries at the scene. The violence did not end outside. After the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team entered the residence, authorities found 43-year-old Evan Cablayan of Magnolia dead inside from gunshot wounds.
Investigators identified the suspected shooter as Charles Williams III, a 49-year-old Magnolia man described in reports as Perez's ex-husband or husband. Police said he was found dead inside the home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to investigators, the preliminary account showed Williams had contacted a family member before or during the incident, admitted that he had shot his wife and her new boyfriend, and said he intended to take his own life.
Three children were found inside the residence after the shooting, but police said they were physically unharmed. Their presence added another devastating layer to the case, as the shooting unfolded inside and around the home before authorities were able to enter and secure the scene.
No arrest was made because the suspected gunman died at the scene. There were no reported criminal charges, court proceedings, trial, or conviction connected to Williams because police determined the case to be a suspected murder-suicide. The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit continued investigating the incident after publicly identifying Perez, Cablayan, and Williams.
