Mikey Williams to go to Trial for Six Gun-Related Felony Charges

Memphis basketball signee Mikey Williams’ dreams of playing for the Tigers this season may be all but crushed.

The 4-star high school recruit will go to trial for his six gun-related felony charges, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled, per Mark Zeigler of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Williams will next appear in court on Oct. 24 to set a trial date.

These charges stem from an incident at his (San Diego, Calif.) home back in March. Williams allegedly shot at a moving car filled with five people—including three minors—as it was driving away from the house. He was later arrested and released on a $50,000 bail. If convicted, he could possibly spend up to 28 years in state prison.

The initial news release distributed to the public on April 12 states “there was a verbal argument about guests being asked to leave” and that Williams hit the car but nobody was hurt. 

More details about the incident were unveiled, however, during Williams’ preliminary court hearing Tuesday morning. Though none of the three witnesses who testified said they saw Williams fire a gun, two underage women accused him of angrily threatening them, according to ABC News 10 in San Diego.

One of them testified Williams said, “We better get to stepping or you’ll leave with bullet holes.”

The other testified Williams told them, “We’re up in the mountains so no one will be able to save us or help us.”

Each witness testified that none of them were armed nor made any threats towards Williams. One of the girls who testified, however, later retracted part of her statements to the police, and showed hesitancy on the witness stand to say she ever saw Williams wield a firearm. She added that she felt “pressured” by police when they questioned her about the incident.

Govani Salaiz, who drove the group to Williams’ home, said he stayed in his car but later looked back and saw Williams holding what looked to be a gun.

Later in the afternoon, one witness said another attempted to dissuade him from testifying in exchange for payment from Williams, according to Zeigler.

“She told me I will get paid,” he said. “She didn’t say by whom. She said she was getting a contract from Mikey [Williams].”

Memphis forward JJ Taylor—Williams’ high school teammate and close friend—was present at both the scene and hearing. But multiple witnesses testified that he and others tried to calm Williams down and defuse the situation.

What this Could Mean for Williams’ Future at Memphis

This represents yet another roadblock in Williams’ journey to play basketball at Memphis this season.

The 6-foot-3 guard now faces an extremely daunting timetable with the Tigers opening exhibition play in just 19 days against Lane College on Oct. 29. Their regular season schedule tips off eight days later versus Jackson State.

Memphis Athletics released a statement regarding the situation on Sept. 27.

“While Mikey Williams is enrolled in online classes at the University of Memphis and remains on the roster, he will not have access to team-related facilities or activities until his pending legal process in California is complete,” the statement reads in part. “The process to assess and determine his status with the team will be initiated at that time.”

Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, despite the statement, reiterated his endorsement of Williams and his desire for the 19-year-old to be a part of the team during a media availability later that day.

“I mean, we’re just supporting him,” Hardaway said. “There is no news that’s come out to make us change our minds or think any differently [about Mikey Williams].”