Naytasia Williams: 25-Year-Old Indianapolis Woman Shot Dead By Security Guard
Naytasia Williams, 25, was fatally shot in the wee hours of Friday, August 28, 2020 by a security guard at an Indianapolis apartment complex , according to local reports.
Naytasia Williams, 25, of Indianapolis, Indiana was sitting in her car with one of her best friends when unbridled violence ended her life. Williams was fatally shot by an apartment complex security guard.
The scene of the murder happened in the wee hours of Friday, August 28, 2020 in a crime-ridden area, according to local reports.
The victim’s best friend, Liberty Carnell, said she and Williams were there to see a mutual friend. As they were leaving, Carnell said she was in the backseat of Williams’ car when they drove past three security guards on site.
“I never seen these people out here," Carnell said. "I be out here all the time.”
. Carnell says Williams had a gun visible on the front seat, but that’s because she had a license to carry, she told WTHR.
Carnell said one of the security guards used his flashlight to peer inside the vehicle
“He flashed the light and then shot three times,” Carnell remembered.
“He never said, ‘Get out, put your hands up, don’t touch nothing.’” Carnell told 13News. “He never said nothing to us. He just shot in the car.”
She was hit with multiple gunshots, according to the Marion County Coroner’s Office.
In the chaotic aftermath, Williams tried to communicate to Carnell. “She said ‘I’m hit.’ and got out,” said Carnell.
She managed to get out of the car, but immediately laid on the ground because she had guns pointed at her. Meanwhile, her best friend struggled to breathe.
“I’m laying there. I just watched a man murder my friend. I’m laying there, and I can’t help her,” Carnell was quoted as saying.
Following the shooting, the security guard’s vehicle was set ablaze by angered members of the community -- but he was able to get home without incident.
After the community continued to push for his arrest, officers finally took Melvin Hall Jr. into custody.
Turns out, Hall reportedly shot a man while working as a security guard. Hall also was prosecuted in 2015 for impersonating a police officer, according to WTHR.
Local police have stressed that Hall is not affiliated with them and has never been.
Since the shooting, community members raised awareness about Williams’ death.
"Our community is devastated by the death of Naytasia Williams, and we now begin the all-too-familiar process of mourning the loss of another beautiful young life taken by gun violence,” City.-County Councilor La Keisha Jackson said in a statement. “I am praying today not only for Naytasia's loved ones but for my entire Eastside community, and I encourage anyone struggling with the loss of a loved one to violence to reach out for help. I will be monitoring the investigation into Naytasia's death closely to advocate for a transparent and just process."
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