Fayetteville, NC — A standoff at a Fayetteville apartment complex escalated fatally when Shakoor Williams, 33, wanted for the killing of a homeless man, barricaded himself inside and later died following an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers.
Police, including members of the Fayetteville Police Violent Criminal Apprehension Team and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, were executing a murder arrest warrant against Williams on Tuesday at the Kings Cross Apartments near Morganton Road.
The confrontation began when Williams, after arming himself, refused entry to law enforcement. Police Chief Kem Braden revealed that the standoff persisted for almost four hours. Authorities report that Williams fired shots within the apartment before he finally emerged and engaged in gunfire with the officers.
According to officials, Williams was transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
The arrest warrant issued for Williams implicated him in the murder of Willie Russell, a 31-year-old homeless man. Russell was fatally shot on Mother’s Day along Seneca Drive while on his way to a friend’s house for a shower. He had been living in a tent behind a local church in Fayetteville.
Willie’s brother, Nick Russell, shared in an emotional account that his brother had been struggling with homelessness and substance addiction. Despite these challenges, Willie had been making an effort to turn his life around. “It’s heartbreaking,” Nick Russell said. “Just knowing you did everything possible for them, and they’re still taken from you.”
Nick further speculated that the fatal conflict might have stemmed from debts Willie owed, though he emphasized that his life should not have been the cost of settling any such debts.
In addition to Williams, Markeindexth Rushing is also suspected of involvement in Willie Russell’s murder. Rushing remains detained at the Cumberland County Detention Center.
Williams had a previous criminal record, having served time for a second-degree murder conviction in 2011.
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has taken charge of the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, a standard procedure in such cases to ensure a thorough and impartial examination of the events that transpired.
This tragic incident highlights ongoing issues related to law enforcement confrontations and the difficulties faced by the homeless community in securing safety and support within urban environments. The community and local authorities are now grappling with the implications of this violent encounter and seeking ways to prevent similar occurrences in the future.