A Chicago woman who had just celebrated her 33rd birthday was fatally struck by a stray bullet while visiting New Orleans early Sunday morning, her family confirmed. Jessica Williams was identified by the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office after the New Orleans Police Department announced that three people had been shot during the incident.
Authorities said officers responded around 2:22 a.m. to reports of gunfire, where they found Williams suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A man and another woman were also injured in the shooting, police said.
Williams’ sister, Davona Morgan, described the terrifying moment that led to the tragedy. She told Nola.com that the family had been walking back to their hotel when they passed an argument between strangers. “We walked right through the argument,” Morgan said. “I told my sister… ‘let’s walk faster.’” Moments later, the confrontation erupted into gunfire.
Morgan said she was struck in the back by a bullet that broke her rib and lodged in her breast. She recalled screaming for help as the pain seared through her shoulder, only to realize her sister was missing. Moments later, she saw Williams collapse. “She was falling on the ground face-first,” Morgan said.
Family members said Williams was a devoted mother of two young children and a hard-working building service employee at a Chicago hospital. According to ABC 7 Chicago, she rarely took time for herself and had to be persuaded to make the trip to New Orleans for her birthday.
“This proud mother… rarely took time for herself as she was often focused on her children, family, and her work,” her union, SEIU Local 73, said in a statement. Her cousin, Kardajia Wells, described her dedication to her family. “It’s either work, my kids, or doing something with my kids.
It’s not in-between. So, she doesn’t make free time for herself,” Wells told WGNO. Loved ones said that for once, Williams had chosen to celebrate herself, only for the trip to end in tragedy. “It hurt my feelings so bad,” Morgan said. “Because she was just trying to have a good trip.”
A GoFundMe campaign has since been created to help support Williams’ two children, ages 4 and 7, as her family grieves the sudden and devastating loss. Police continue to investigate the shooting. As of Monday, no arrests had been announced.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact NOPD Homicide Section detectives at 504-658-5300. Anonymous tips can be left with Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP. Tips can also be submitted online at www.crimestoppersgno.org