As a member of the Memphis Tigers of the American Athletic Conference and a four-star recruit in the 2023 class, Mikey Williams was already in a position to have a fruitful basketball career.
Shooting into stardom at such a young age and even before joining the NBA, basketball fans were eyeing him to become one of the next legendary players in the future.
Williams and the Summer shooting incident
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when Williams was taken into custody and charged with six firearm-related felonies, putting a pause on his promising career.
It was during March when Williams broke his violent nature free on the streets. According to reports, Williams purportedly aimed and fired his gun at a vehicle as it quickly drove away from his residence at the unincorporated Jamul, eastern San Diego county.
The vehicle carried five people inside it, and everyone on board fortunately got away unscathed from Williams.
Reports say that there were no direct witnesses when Williams opened fire, and that the officials never found the alleged gun that Williams used during that time. However, they did find a number of firearms in his place and the initial hearings revealed two young women that testified to William’s threats:
“We better get to stepping or you’ll leave with bullet holes,” the first witness stated.
While the second said, “We’re up in the mountains so no one will be able to save us or help us.”
Williams’ Charges
Williams was then charged with 5 counts of assault with a weapon and 1 count for shooting into a moving car.
He was taken into custody, but was released on bail of $50,000 shortly after his arraignment.
Williams was granted his freedom, however, he found that his life had never been quite the same. He is currently attending classes online. Additionally, despite still being a member of the team, he is not permitted to enter the basketball team’s facilities or participate in any of the team’s activities.
Arraignment
Last month, the school issued a statement regarding the current status of Williams on the team, confirming that he is still a member, but that this is subject to change depending on the outcome of his legal proceedings, as reported by ESPN.
“The process to assess and determine his status with the team will be initiated at that time,” the school said in a statement.
In light of recent news, Judge Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor has scheduled Williams’ arraignment on October 24, as per latest ESPN report. If convicted on all counts, Williams could face up to 28 years in prison.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Tigers began their practices last September 25 and are set to have their first game on November 6.
Whether or not Williams will be able to play in any of their upcoming matches is yet to be determined.
The photo above is from a YouTube screengrab