A Wisconsin mother was shot and killed in front of her 9-year-old son and 2-year-old niece after a minor car accident escalated into an act of cold-blooded violence on August 6, according to authorities.
Charmaine William, 29, was behind the wheel with her boyfriend, young son, and toddler niece when she was gunned down in broad daylight on the north side of Milwaukee, according to Law&Crime.
Prosecutors say Larry Jefferson, 29, opened fire through her windshield after a minor fender bender near N. Sherman Boulevard and Hampton Avenue.
The horrifying incident unfolded just blocks from William’s home, where she was pronounced dead near 31st Street and Fairmount Avenue.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, the young mother’s family has called the incident a “road rage” killing and described it on GoFundMe as a “senseless, unfathomable act of violence.”
Her 9-year-old son, identified in court documents as “DD”, was found crying in the car next to his mother’s body. He told investigators he didn’t understand what happened or why someone would do this to his mom.
“DD asked Detective Braunreiter why this person killed his mom,” the complaint states. “Detective Braunreiter stated that he did not know. DD then stated that Detective Braunreiter is a police detective and asked if Detective Braunreiter would ever be able to tell him why this person killed his mom.”
The boy told police that the shooter was riding a “cruiser”-style motorcycle and wore a vest with “gangster stickers,” which investigators say matched motorcycle club patches.
Jefferson is now charged with first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Surveillance footage from the area reportedly shows Jefferson trailing William’s car, wearing clothing similar to what DD described. Investigators later found photos on a Facebook group called “Cliqueriders MC”, showing a man matching Jefferson’s appearance — including a black handgun with an extended magazine tucked in his waistband and seated on a black cruiser-style Harley Davidson motorcycle.
“The club members in the photos posted on August 4, 2025 appeared to primarily be older black males, with one in particular being considerably younger,” the complaint says.
“This younger black male was consistent with the suspect description provided by DD (short hair, early 30’s, chin beard, wearing a vest with motorcycle patches). In these photos, this younger individual also had a black handgun with an extended magazine tucked in his front waistband. Importantly, in one of these photos, this same young person is seated on a black cruiser-style Harley Davidson motorcycle.”
Police then used the FLOCK license plate camera system, which reportedly showed Jefferson’s bike following William’s car on the day of the shooting. Investigators say the Facebook photos and the footage are “consistent with both the suspect as described by DD and the suspect motorcycle captured on the FLOCK camera system.”
When asked what led to the deadly shooting, William’s son gave a chilling account.
“A motorcycle hit the back of their car” and then the rider “pulled a firearm and shot ‘his mamma,’” the complaint states.
“(The boy) stated that the motorcycle pulled around their vehicle on the driver’s side and the rider of the motorcycle pulled a gun from between his legs and shot his mom through the windshield,” police allege.
The investigation continues as the community reels from the shocking violence — and a family tries to piece together the aftermath of an act that stole a mother’s life in front of her children.
