In the early morning hours of November 20, 2016, a dispute between friends in Salt Lake City, UT, ended in the tragic death of 25-year-old Byron Williams, a Black/African American male. The day had started with Williams and his friend, 26-year-old Christopher Bonds, spending time together, including attending a soccer game and going to a bar. At the bar, Bonds was involved in a verbal altercation with another person.
Later, the two men returned to Bonds' apartment at 1800 West Parkway
Boulevard. Bonds, intending to confront the individual from the bar, retrieved a 9mm handgun. This led to an argument between Williams and Bonds at the bottom of a staircase in the apartment building. The argument escalated into a physical struggle over the firearm.
Williams attempted to flee from the confrontation, but Bonds fired three shots, striking him in the arm and fatally in the upper back. Police responded to reports of multiple gunshots and found Williams in the parking lot with gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Following the shooting, Christopher Bonds was arrested. Investigators recovered a handgun near the scene which Bonds had allegedly tried to hide. He was charged with first-degree felony murder, obstruction of justice, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and felony discharge of a firearm.
During his trial, Bonds claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Williams had threatened his family. However, a jury found him guilty of murder and the related charges. On March 5, 2018, Christopher Bonds was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the murder of his friend, with additional consecutive sentences for the other offenses. Family members remembered Byron Williams as a loving father and a central figure in his extended family.
