Crime
Shavon Williams, Mother of 7-Year-Old Jamal White Jr., Arrested Days After His Abduction and Recovery
A Milwaukee man accused of participating in the abduction of a 7-year-old boy—an incident that triggered a statewide Amber Alert—is now challenging the evidence against him.
Corey Williams, identified by prosecutors as one of three individuals involved in the July 11 kidnapping of young Jamal Williams, appeared in Milwaukee County Court on Friday for his initial hearing.
During the proceedings, Williams denied some of the allegations and at times engaged directly with the court commissioner over statements attributed to him.
According to the criminal complaint and related search warrant affidavits, the kidnapping stemmed from a failed robbery attempt.
Prosecutors allege that Corey Williams and two accomplices had planned to rob someone they believed to be a local drug dealer—Shavon Williams, the boy’s mother.
When she was not home, the suspects allegedly redirected their plan to the father’s residence, located near North 61st and West Hustis streets.
Surveillance video shows a white Jeep Renegade pulling into a driveway at that location.
One individual is seen chasing the child’s father into the home, while another suspect follows Jamal up the driveway, forcibly grabbing him and placing him into the vehicle. Prosecutors say Corey Williams was the driver.
During Friday’s hearing, Court Commissioner Barry Phillips addressed Williams directly about his role in the abduction.
“As the driver, you could have easily said, ‘Don’t take the kid. Don’t bring that kid in this car.’ You didn’t do that,” Phillips said.
Court documents further reveal that the suspects took Jamal to Williams’ home near North 39th and West Lloyd streets.
While there, the child reportedly watched cartoons and played with Legos.
Investigators also traced more than 40 phone calls from the kidnappers to the boy’s mother, demanding $100,000 in cash and jewelry in exchange for the child’s safe return.
“How do we know all of that? Because the defendant himself told us,” said Assistant District Attorney Ryan Johnson, referring to Williams’ own statements to police.
Williams appeared visibly frustrated during parts of the hearing, shaking his head and disputing key portions of the prosecution’s narrative.
One moment of contention came when Commissioner Phillips referenced a disturbing admission allegedly made by Williams during police questioning:
“What you also said to the police is that when the mother did not meet you to pay the ransom, for a little while, you thought about hurting that kid,” Phillips said.
“That’s a lie,” Williams replied.
“OK, well, it’s on tape, and we’ll find out if it’s a lie or not,” Phillips responded.
“Clearly, you all didn’t watch it, then,” Williams said.
Bail for Corey Williams was set at $100,000. He currently faces charges of kidnapping and taking a hostage.
In a related development, investigators say the boy’s mother, Shavon Williams, was uncooperative during the investigation and hindered law enforcement’s efforts to locate her son.
She is currently being held on a probation violation, though no charges have been filed against her in connection with the abduction at this time.
Police have also taken two other individuals into custody in connection with the case: a 38-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy.
Their names have not yet been publicly released. The investigation remains ongoing.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.