Durham mom, founder of Mothers of Murdered Kids, loses second son to gun violence

Now, Sherry Williams has lost two sons to gun violence.

Durham police were called to the 800 block of South Street around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday for a report of a car crash with injuries. When they arrived, they found Jabari Williams, who had been shot. Police said he died at the scene.

Sherry Williams started the support group "Mothers of Murdered Kids" after her oldest son was killed in 2007. His case remains unsolved – and now she's struck twice by grief, with another son lost to gun violence.

Jabari Williams was a graduate of Hillside High School and was a passionate and talented basketball player.

His older brother, JaQuienton D. Sellars, was murdered in 2007. Family members said they've been waiting 15 years for justice in Sellars' murder, they don't want to have to wait 15 years again in Williams' death.

Despite his mother's fight for justice and to combat gun violence, Deon Gagum, the middle brother, has now lost both his older and younger brother to gun violence.

"Definitely a slap in the face," he says. "No mother should have to bury their child. Now, she has to do that twice."

Jabari Williams' murder also came as a shock to his best friend Xavier Harrington.

"I started calling his phone like crazy, like please be a joke, please be a joke," he says. "But he wasn't picking up."

He describes Williams as caring and fun.

"Even on my worst days, he was very goofy," he says. "He knows how to put a smile on somebody's face."

Harrington says Williams had big dreams of playing in the NBA, and that he was very talented when it came to sports.

Another friend, Samuel Philpott shared that Williams' family was important to him.

"I know he loved his mom a lot. All he really wanted to do was make her proud," says Philpott.

Williams' family says having lost two sons to gun violence, they don't want to wait enough 15 years for justice -- or answers. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Investigator J.L. Kellar at (919) 560-4440 ext. 29306, or Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200.