Man charged with drive-by killing of Lakewood boy in argument over girl

TACOMA, Wash. – A 22-year-old man was charged with shooting a 15-year-old boy in the head and killing in an argument over girl in Lakewood on Friday night.

Billy Gene Williamson was charged Monday with one count of first-degree murder and five counts of first-degree assault, and all the charges come with firearm enhancements.

Prosecutors say Williamson had been arguing on Facebook with a minor who used to date Williamson’ girlfriend. That boy was not the boy who was killed.



“The victim came to a fistfight and instead walked into a gunfight,” Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist said. “He was unarmed.”

According to a release from the Pierce County prosecutor’s office:

As the Facebook argument devolved into threats of violence, Willilamson’s romantic rival sent him GPS coordinates and invited him to fight.

That boy and his friends met up in a stairwell in the Harrison apartments in the 8300 block of 83rd St. SW in Lakewood. The boy’s ex-girlfriend – who, again, was now dating Williamson – texted and told the boy to come out and fight.

A grey or silver car slowly drove by, and a male’s voice shouted “aye” just before shots were fired from the vehicle.

The boy who had been involved in the argument with Williamson wasn’t hit, but his 15-year-old friend was struck in the head and later died.

Williamson turned himself in and gave a statement. He told police the girl had said her ex-boyfriend always carried a gun, and that Williamson would get jumped.

Williamson said that’s why he brought a gun, and he told police the group fired first as his car approach so he returned fire. He told police he didn’t intend to shoot anyone.

The police recovered five .22 caliber shell casings and two .40- caliber shell casings.