Latoya Davis, a 32-year-old Black woman from Darby, Pennsylvania, was a mother of two daughters who was expecting her first son. Her family remembered her as a "happy, outgoing person" and "a mother to all of us." A relative described her as a "very beautiful person" who was always checking on others to make sure they were okay.
On the evening of October 5, 2024, Davis went to a Wawa convenience store on MacDade Boulevard in Collingdale.
Inside, she got into an argument with another woman, 30-year-old Evelena Williams. The two, who did not know each other, had parked their cars next to one another. The conflict continued into the parking lot, where Davis stood by her car, blocking Williams from getting into her own. After Davis threw an unknown object at Williams, Williams drew a handgun and fired a single shot. Surveillance video showed that Davis was turning or running away when she was hit.
Police responded to reports of gunfire around 7:20 p.m. and found Davis in the parking lot with a gunshot wound to her upper torso. Medics pronounced her dead at the scene just minutes later. Davis was six months pregnant. Williams, a Philadelphia resident, remained at the scene and told arriving officers that she had shot Davis, adding that she was licensed to carry a firearm. Police recovered a Ruger .380 semiautomatic handgun from her vehicle.
Williams was arrested and held without bail. She was charged with multiple offenses, including first- and third-degree murder for the deaths of both Latoya Davis and her unborn child. At a preliminary hearing on October 23, 2024, a judge ordered her to stand trial on all charges. In August 2025, Evelena Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder.
