On a late Saturday night in Alexandria, Louisiana, the sound of gunfire shattered the peace in the 500 block of Avoyelles Drive. It was May 13, 2023, at approximately 11:13 P.M. when the Alexandria Police Department received a dispatch about shots being fired in the area. Upon their arrival, officers discovered the body of 19-year-old Dontravius Williams, a Black male, who had succumbed to apparent gunshot wounds.
The initial phase of the investigation into the death of Dontravius
Williams was met with an appeal to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible. The Alexandria Police Department worked to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. This remained an active and ongoing investigation for several weeks as detectives followed leads and gathered evidence.
A break in the case came on Thursday, June 1, 2023, when the Alexandria Police Department's Detective Division made an arrest in connection with the homicide. Eighteen-year-old Brian Johnson of Alexandria was taken into custody and charged with one count of Second Degree Murder and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun. At the time of his arrest for the murder of Williams, Johnson was already incarcerated at the Rapides Parish Detention Center. He had been arrested on May 26, 2023, on two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The investigation into the death of Dontravius Williams is noted as ongoing. A memorial service to celebrate Dontravius' life was held on Friday, May 26, 2023, at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Alexandria.
