On June 1, 2024, 18-year-old Shakeria Denise Williams was found dead in the Gladeview area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. in the 2000 block of Northwest 65th Street. Williams was sitting in the back seat of a gray 2014 BMW 328i when she was fatally shot.
The shooting resulted from an altercation between a man, later identified as Wayne Sanders, 29, of Orlando, and another woman in the parking lot. The argument began verbally but escalated into a physical confrontation after Sanders threw an alcoholic beverage at the woman, and she retaliated by throwing her cellphone back at him. Surveillance footage showed Sanders threatening to kill the woman, who then armed herself as he walked back to his vehicle. Another man handed Sanders a gun, which he fired in the air before continuing to discharge the firearm, hitting Williams with multiple bullets.
According to the police, the woman took cover behind Williams' vehicle as Sanders continued firing the automatic pistol, resulting in Williams being struck by the barrage of bullets. Sanders appeared to realize he had shot an innocent victim, got into a Mercedes-Benz, and fled the scene. Medics from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced Williams dead at the scene, with multiple gunshot wounds, including at least one to the chest.
Wayne Sanders, who is also known by the street name "Little Weezy," has a history of violent crimes, having spent nearly seven years in prison for convictions including attempted murder and attempted armed robbery in Miami-Dade County. He was arrested on July 11, 2024, at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and is being held without bond on charges of second-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing a short-barreled shotgun, rifle or machine gun.
The investigation was conducted by homicide detectives with the Street Violence Task Force North, and authorities had appealed for anyone with information about the case to contact Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers. The shooting was confirmed by a ShotSpotter alert, which led police to the scene where they found 17 10mm spent bullet casings and two projectiles.
