Crime
13-Year-Old Amari Williams Found Fatally Shot in Chicago
Chicago, IL – A 13-year-old boy, identified by family as Amari “Mari” Williams, was found fatally shot in the head early Monday morning in the city’s North Lawndale neighborhood.
Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers discovered the teen’s body around 2:10 a.m. on March 17, 2025, while on routine patrol near 15th Street and Kildare Avenue.
Officers spotted an unconscious male lying in a yard and approached to check on him.
Upon closer inspection, they determined he had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, but Williams was pronounced dead upon their arrival.
Authorities have not released any details regarding the circumstances of the shooting.
Notably, no 911 calls were made reporting gunfire or a person shot in the area before officers made the discovery. CPD’s Area 4 Detectives are actively investigating the case.
Williams’ death marks the 37th fatal shooting or homicide found without a 911 report under Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration, following the discontinuation of the city’s contract with ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system that previously covered the area.
Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward.
Anonymous tips can be submitted via CPDTIP.com, or individuals can contact the Chicago Police Department’s 10th District at (312) 747-7511.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.