KALAMAZOO, MI – There is no way Aaron Williams was breaking into a house when he was fatally shot, his family says.
Williams, 33, of Kalamazoo, was shot multiple times just before midnight on Saturday, May 15, in the 3100 block of Whittier Drive in Kalamazoo. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety told MLive that Williams was shot by a homeowner while he was attempting to break into a home. But family members of Williams, who worked as clerk at a nearby convenience store, said he would never do anything like that.
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“He would not go there unless he was invited,” mother Angelica Gutierrez said. “You wouldn’t catch him breaking into a home.”
Police declined to comment because the investigation is ongoing, KDPS Public Information Officer Ryan Bridges said.
Williams was invited to the home to play poker, according to Gutierrez and Williams’ stepfather Charles Kelley. They think something happened during the game that led to the shooting.
“If he had gone wild, it was because his back was up against the wall,” Kelley said. “They took something from him, and he was under severe distress.”
Williams had two young sons and he loved them more than anything, Gutierrez said.
“His kids were his life,” she said. “He would not put himself in a situation where he would be taken away from them boys, because that’s how much he loved and cared for him. They were never really apart, except for work.”
He was never in a bad mood and was a funny guy, friend Steven Burnett said. Growing up, they made funny videos and one was even played on Nickelodeon, Burnett said. The two were closed, and called each other “brother,” he said.
Williams and his sons were supposed to play baseball with Burnett and his sons on Sunday.
“We were a big family,” Burnett said. “We did everything together.”
Williams worked at the Sunny Mart convenience store at 2020 E. Cork St. for nearly eight years. He was there six days a week, and working the morning shift, Manager Warren Gupta said.
The store is 1/10 mile from where Williams was shot, and he lived only a few streets away from the store in the opposite direction, Kelley said.
Coworkers and customers loved Williams. His drawer was never short at the end of his shift, and he never lost his patience with customers, even if they were drunk or high, Gupta said.
“I don’t know underlying factors, but I can tell you from the human side that he is not that guy,” Gupta said. “We are in shock.”
Williams stopped into the store where he worked Saturday night to use his debit card to withdraw around $10 in cash, Gupta said. That was the last time Gupta saw Williams.
“There was no way he was going to break into a house,” Gupta said. “It’s just so sad; he’s the best kid I’ve had working here and I’ve had a lot of employees.”
Williams’ family said they want police to keep investigating and get to the truth of what happened that night. They want charges brought against the man who pulled the trigger.
“I don’t want his name to be out there like that,” Gutierrez said. “Whatever they’re saying, it’s not him.”
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