'Try to save somebody': Father offers advice to 21-year-old convicted of killing his son
Christopher Williams stepped to the podium inside a Calhoun County courtroom Friday morning and looked directly in the eyes of the man charged with killing his 17-year-old son nearly two years ago.
He did not get emotional, but rather spoke calmly and directly to 21-year-old Cameron Anthony James for about 11 minutes, imploring the young man to turn his life around and dissuade other impressionable youth in Battle Creek from following his path.
"No matter what we instill in our kids, when they step outside our house, we got people like you trying to unravel what we instill in our children," Williams told James during Friday's sentencing hearing. "Try to save somebody, do some good yourself."
James pleaded no contest in Calhoun County Circuit Court on April 30 to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in the July 11, 2022 fatal shooting of Christopher Mark Williams, 17. Charges of open murder and felony firearm were dismissed.
On Friday, Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge Sarah Lincoln sentenced James to 15 to 50 years in prison in connection with Williams' death, with credit for 710 days served.
James declined to speak during the hearing.
"You need to listen to the words that Mr. Williams said today on the record," Lincoln told James moments before imposing his sentence. "He has conducted himself with grace and dignity and what he has said to you is worth listening to, not just for you but for every young man in this community because the fact of the matter is, it is getting tiresome sitting up here and handing down sentences for shootings that either kill or could have killed someone.
"The gun violence in this community is out of control and I don’t know what to do about it," she continued. "I know that people who are smarter than me, more involved in the community than me are working every day to make changes. But the fact of the matter is, unless people like you, who have been there, do take the initiative, understand that what they did was wrong and try to prevent others from going down that path, I don’t know that there’s a way to stop this."
Williams was found shot in the area of Arbor Pointe Townhomes — off Jackson Street West, near North 20th Street — about 11:55 p.m. on July 11, 2022. He was taken to Bronson Battle Creek Hospital and later died, police said.
Williams died from a single gunshot wound to the cheek, forensic pathologist Dr. Patrick Hansma told the court during a preliminary hearing on Sept. 9, 2022.
The 17-year-old graduated from Battle Creek Central in June and had been a senior leader on the Bearcat football team, playing on the offensive line and earning honorable mention honors on the 2021 Battle Creek Enquirer All-City Football Team.
"My son was not a street dude," Williams' father explained to James Friday. "Was he tough? Yes, he was a football player, he’d been playing football since he was six. He was very tough on the field, but how you antagonized him and talked stuff … You is forcing some dude that is not a street dude to come out and play a game he ain’t ready for."
The elder Williams challenged James to become a better man, encouraging him to steer his younger family members away from the streets before one of them ends up in a similar courtroom.
"You talk to your brothers, your cousins, let them know what they playing with man because life is too serious, bro. This (is not) social media," Williams said. "Talk to your family man, try to make it right for your brother."
Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Man sentenced in fatal shooting of Battle Creek Central football standout
