Inverness youth, age 19, charged with attempted murder of another youth with a handgun
Photo graphic of Williams courtesy of CCSO.
Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO)
Inverness, Florida - An incident that occurred at an Inverness residence on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, resulted in the arrest of 19 year-old Malik Williams of Inverness, who was charged with the attempted murder of an 18 year-old male.
According to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to a residence located on East Anna Jo Drive, due to a call for service reporting that an incident involving a weapon had occurred at the residence.
Deputies arrived at the location to find 19 year-old Inverness resident Malik Williams holding an object that was later determined to be a 9mm handgun. Williams took off running, which lead deputies on a brief chase until they caught up with him and took him into custody.
During the investigation, deputies learned that Williams had aimed the firearm at the victim and pulled the trigger, but no round had exited the gun's chamber. The 18 year-old male victim told deputes that he heard a "click" when Williams pulled the trigger. Witnesses and video evidence corroborated the victim's account of the incident.
The investigation determined that the incident began when the victim's 14-year-old brother confronted Williams about him being disrespectful toward he and the victim's 16 year-old sister. Williams then threatened to fight the 14 year-old brother, and the victim stepped in to engage in a fist fight with Williams, who then allegedly retrieved the firearm and pointed it at the victim.
Williams denied that he'd been armed with a gun; however, deputies soon recovered the discarded weapon, which had a live round in the chamber.
Based on the evidence and witness statements, deputies determined there was probable cause to arrest Williams on charges of attempted first degree murder with a firearm and resisting an officer without violence. Williams was booked in on the charges at the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto, Florida, with his bond set at no bond, per the bond schedule.
"Great work to our deputies for quickly and safely apprehending this dangerous individual, ensuring the safety of our community," said Citrus County Sheriff David Vincent. "This case is a shining example of 'stronger together.' Thanks to the witnesses who acted quickly and stepped forward to share crucial information, Williams was apprehended before he could seriously injure anyone."