Red and white balloons floated into the sky over a Sugar Creek park Friday as family and friends remembered Joel Williams, a 20-year-old who was found shot on July 10. The gathering was quiet and heavy with grief as relatives shared memories, prayed for justice, and tried to process a loss they say has left a deep void in the neighborhood.
According to KSHB 41 News, Sugar Creek police were dispatched just before 10 p.m. on July 10 to the area of Lexington and Sterling avenues after reports of a man down. Officers found Williams with a gunshot wound, and he later died at a hospital. Detectives are continuing to investigate the case.
Williams’ aunt, Senitria Hampton Monk, told KSHB 41 News that “He was a person who loved beyond what he was experiencing,” adding that hearing the stories people shared about him mattered to the family. Anton Washington of Creative Innovative said Williams was “becoming a positive member in our community and being a beacon of light for many youth in the new generation.”
Work and community ties
Williams worked at United Market, which issued a message offering condolences and saying he brought a contagious smile to his coworkers. Family members said he had recently moved into his own apartment and remembered him as someone who routinely put others first…