In the late afternoon of August 27, 2019, in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, the lives of two women were tragically cut short in a violent encounter. Thirty-six-year-old Christina Fulmer, a White female, and her friend, 28-year-old Deanna Thomas Banks, were found deceased in the front yard of a residence on North Washington Street. When officers from the Helena-West Helena Police Department arrived at the scene in response to a shooting report, they discovered the two women's bodies.
As the officers approached the home, they were confronted by 37-year-old Raymond Lewis Williams Jr., who emerged from the front door holding a rifle. Williams then retreated inside, barricading himself and initiating a standoff with law enforcement that would last for hours. The Arkansas State Police SWAT team was called in to assist. Despite repeated attempts to communicate with Williams, he remained unresponsive.
As the evening wore on, tear gas was deployed into the house in an effort to end the standoff. Shortly after, Williams appeared on the front porch and opened fire on the officers. State troopers returned fire, and Williams was fatally wounded at the scene.
Investigations into the motive for the deadly shooting suggest that Williams became agitated when Banks brought Fulmer to his home. During the standoff, Williams' mother informed police that he may have been experiencing a mental health crisis. A subsequent search of his home revealed poor living conditions, with the utilities disconnected and no running water. The Arkansas State Police's Criminal Investigation Division launched an investigation into the double homicide and the officer-involved shooting. The case was considered solved as the primary suspect was deceased. The bodies of Fulmer, Banks, and Williams were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for autopsies to determine the official causes of death. The state troopers involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, a standard procedure in such cases.
