In the afternoon of January 12, 2023, a 14-year-old boy named Xaviar Christopher Siess was waiting with friends at a bus stop in Tacoma, Washington, with plans to go to a local store for candy or food. It was a decision that tragically placed him in the path of violence that would abruptly end his young life. His family remembers him as a kind-hearted boy who loved everyone.
As Xaviar and his friends gathered, a car driven by 17-year-old William Isaac Kalama passed by. Kalama, who was with his girlfriend on their way to a 7-Eleven, made the fateful choice to turn his vehicle around on Portland Avenue. He then fired eight gunshots toward the group of boys at the bus stop. Witnesses in the area described hearing the rapid succession of gunfire. One of the bullets struck Xaviar in the abdomen. After the shooting, the assailant callously drove away.
Though efforts were made to help him at the scene, Xaviar was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died from his wound during emergency surgery. The incident prompted lockdowns at local schools as the community grappled with the shocking news. A memorial was later created at the bus stop, a poignant symbol of the community's grief. His mother was initially told by a group of boys that her son had only been grazed by a bullet, a falsehood that soon gave way to the devastating reality of his death.
The Tacoma police investigated the homicide, which led to the arrest of William Isaac Kalama. He was charged with first-degree murder. Kalama, who was 19 at the time of sentencing, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and third-degree assault. In November 2024, a judge sentenced him to 22 years and eight months in prison. During the sentencing, Xaviar's grieving family, including his mother, father, and stepfather, shared emotional accounts of their loss. His mother, in a powerful statement of forgiveness, addressed Kalama directly in court, saying she had forgiven him in her heart and soul.
