On a summer night in South Bend, Indiana, the life of 27-year-old Brandon DaMone Williams was tragically cut short by gun violence. In the early morning hours of Sunday, June 23, 2019, a mass shooting occurred outside of Kelly's Pub, a local bar on Mishawaka Avenue. A large crowd of approximately 75 to 100 people had gathered in the parking lots surrounding the pub when gunfire erupted. In the ensuing chaos, eleven people were struck by bullets. Brandon D.
Williams, of Niles, Michigan, was the sole fatality in the incident.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:00 a.m. following reports of the shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered a chaotic scene with multiple victims. Ten individuals were transported to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Brandon Williams was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. An autopsy later confirmed that his cause of death was a gunshot wound, and his death was ruled a homicide. The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit was tasked with leading the investigation into the deadly shooting.
The investigation proved to be challenging from the outset. Despite the large number of potential witnesses, investigators from the County Metro Homicide Unit reported difficulty in obtaining cooperation. While some witnesses were interviewed, many were reportedly unwilling to provide information that could lead to the identification of the perpetrator or perpetrators. Investigators were able to recover some limited video from the parking lot, but it did not capture the shooting itself. In the weeks following the shooting, the police continued to appeal to the public for any information that could help solve the case.
In August of 2019, the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit publicly identified a 'person of interest' they wished to speak with regarding the murder of Brandon Williams. They announced that they were seeking 28-year-old Tyler Crawford, who had ties to both South Bend and Michigan City. Authorities stated that Crawford was identified as being present at the time of the shooting and was being sought for questioning. It was also noted that Crawford had an outstanding warrant for an unrelated matter. The police asked for the public's assistance in locating him. However, information regarding whether Crawford was ever apprehended in connection with this case has not been made publicly available. The investigation into the death of Brandon DaMone Williams remains ongoing, leaving his family and community still searching for answers and justice.
