A single mother was tragically shot by a stray bullet while celebrating her 33rd birthday on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, leaving her two young children without a parent.
Jessica Williams, a mother from Chicago, was enjoying a special birthday getaway with family when a chaotic street shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Just before departing for Louisiana, Williams had shared a post on Facebook saying, “Tomorrow is about me.”
Joined by her siblings, mother, cousins, and a broader family gathering, their celebration quickly turned into a tragedy, as recounted by her cousin Kardajia Wells.
The intent was clear: spend a joyous weekend celebrating, take in the sights, and fly back to Chicago on Sunday—the very day of Williams’ birthday.
“The goal was simply to celebrate her and my cousin who had just graduated college, so we hoped to celebrate both milestones together,” Wells told ABC 7.
After a night of festivities in the vibrant French Quarter, the family was gradually returning to their hotel when they witnessed an argument escalating on Bourbon Street around 2 a.m.
“As we were leaving, we saw two individuals arguing, and we never suspected they would draw weapons due to the large crowd,” Wells explained to reporters.
Regrettably, the confrontation quickly intensified into a full-scale “shootout,” as per police reports, with at least one assailant brandishing a firearm. Stray bullets unfortunately hit three individuals, including both Williams and her younger sister.
While the other two wounded individuals were promptly treated at a local hospital, Williams tragically passed away at the scene, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
“How can you go away for a fun trip only to return home with one less family member?” Wells lamented intensely.
While two women and a man identified as persons of interest were interrogated, no arrests have been made. Authorities are actively pursuing leads to find a “heavyset black male” last seen wearing a black and white hoodie near the crime scene, according to the NOPD.
Now, Williams’ family—many of whom bore witness to the heartbreaking incident—are left to cope as they support her young daughter in second grade and son who recently started preschool.
“I thought I could handle this. I believed that tomorrow would be brighter, but I can see no path forward at this point,” Wells shared with ABC 7.
