On the night of May 18, 2024, LaKyijah Williams, a 15-year-old Black female, was riding a scooter with friends in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The lively atmosphere near Ottawa Avenue SW and Oakes Street SW was shattered when gunshots rang out. In the chaos that followed, LaKyijah was struck by a bullet. First responders found the young girl, who had died from her injuries.
The Kent County Medical Examiner would later rule her death a homicide.
The investigation by the Grand Rapids Police Department quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence. According to the Kent County Prosecuting Attorney, there was a specific target, but LaKyijah was not that person. She was an innocent bystander caught in the deadly crossfire while simply minding her own business. Investigators spent months poring over evidence, including witness statements and surveillance footage. In July, police released images of several young people they believed were witnesses, clarifying they were not suspects and asking them to come forward to help the investigation.
The investigation led to an arrest in September 2024. Eighteen-year-old Josiah Tyree Pittman was taken into custody and identified as the shooting suspect. The Kent County Prosecutor's Office charged Pittman with second-degree murder and a felony charge for using a firearm. During legal proceedings, authorities reiterated that while LaKyijah Williams was not the intended victim, the act was not random. The police chief described the killing as "absolutely heartbreaking, absolutely tragic, and absolutely avoidable."
Josiah Pittman later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a felony weapons charge in connection with LaKyijah's death. The plea confirmed that he had fired the gun with the intent to hit someone else, but instead struck LaKyijah as she passed by on her scooter. Following his guilty plea, a sentencing hearing was scheduled for the following month.
