UPDATE (Friday 5:00 p.m.)
Court documents filed Friday show the public defender for Jakhari Williams entered a conditional not guilty plea in the case.
The documents say “the effect of the written plea is to waive arraignment.” They also say it’s customary for a public defender a not guilty plea when they are appointed.
UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A Tallahassee teenager is facing life in prison after prosecutors say he opened fire during a rush-hour road rage incident on Interstate 10.
17-year-old Jakhari Williams faces eight felony charges, including attempted murder, for a highway shooting.The shooting incident happened on October 3rd on I-10, injuring multiple victims and shutting down the highway.Watch the video below for a breakdown of the felony charges.
Teen charged with multiple felonies for I-10 shooting incident
It was an emotional morning in court as a 17-year-old and his family listened to prosecutors read the charges he now faces.
I’m neighborhood reporter Lentheus Chaney in downtown Tallahassee, where the teen accused of opening fire on Interstate 10 near Thomasville Road now faces multiple counts of attempted murder.
Jakhari Williams appeared before a judge today as the state attorney’s office formally filed eight felony charges in last week’s I-10 shooting.
Prosecutors say the Oct. 3 incident was not random but stemmed from a confrontation in traffic.
Court documents show the case is being handled as a life felony, meaning Williams could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
“You’re seeing more and more young people who are deciding to say all things with gunfire. Within 24 hours, this young man has been arrested and will be vigorously prosecuted so that people recognize that the response is gonna be equally vigilant,” State Attorney Jack Campbell said.
According to the official filing dated Oct. 8, Williams is charged with:
Attempted first-degree murder with a firearmAttempted second-degree murder with a firearmAttempted felony murderFour counts of shooting into an occupied vehiclePossession of a firearm by a delinquent
Investigators say the shooting happened just after 5 p.m. along the eastbound exit ramp at Thomasville Road.
Multiple vehicles were hit by gunfire, and the ramp was shut down as deputies rushed to help the victims.
A male and a female victim were both shot in the head and taken to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.
The male victim was later life-flighted to a hospital out of town.
The probable cause affidavit reveals a deeper history of violence.
The father of the intended target told deputies his son had been “constantly attacked” over the past two years — including being shot in the leg in 2023 and jumped at Rickards High School by the same group believed to be involved in this shooting.
Detectives used electronic monitoring data to confirm the location of the suspect’s vehicle.
A confidential witness who owned the car was wearing an ankle monitor, placing him at the scene at 5:21 p.m.
That witness told deputies he warned Williams not to shoot because a deputy was nearby.
According to the affidavit, Williams replied that he “did not care” and leaned out of the car window to fire multiple rounds.
“For the last 10 years in this community, we’ve seen late teens and early 20s being the majority of the people both being shot and doing the shooting, so it is a concerning thing. We’re seeing it more and more, and this was just another opportunity for real tragedy,” Campbell said.
Williams remains in custody at the Leon County Detention Facility. Prosecutors say the case underscores a growing concern about youth gun violence and the lasting impact of split-second decisions.
Original:
We’re learning new details on the I-10 shooting from last Friday near the Thomasville Road exit that sent two people to the hospital. A probable cause affidavit reveals that both victims were shot in the head and taken to Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare.
Suspect, 17-year-old Jakhari Williams, was taken into custody on October 4th and faces the following charges:
Stefan Roberts, WTXL ABC 27
Attempted first-degree murder with a firearmAttempted second-degree murder with a firearmAttempted felony murderShooting at, within, or into occupied vehicle (four counts)Possession of firearm by delinquent
The report states that on October 3rd, just before 5:30 p.m., a Leon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was in the area of I-10 EB off-ramp when he heard multiple gunshots. The deputy saw a blue/green Honda Accord driving with a man whose arm was hanging out of the driver’s side window. The deputy says that’s when another car, a blue Honda CRV made a U-turn on the off-ramp, drove against the flow of traffic to the deputy. The driver got out of his car and had a visible gunshot wound to the head.
The report states his car had several gunshots to the hood and windshield. The deputy administered first aid to the victim until he was taken to TMH as a trauma alert. During the shooting, a husband and wife couple were approaching the exit when the wife, who was a passenger in the car, was shot in the head. Her husband took her to TMH. Another victim’s car was hit during the shooting, but that driver wasn’t injured.
The report goes on to say that the male victim’s father arrived on scene and told deputies his son had been attacked over the last couple of years, including being shot in the leg in April 2023. He went on to say that his son was jumped at Rickards High School by the same people who he claims were involved when he was shot in the leg, but couldn’t tell the deputies any names.
A car matching the description of the blue Honda Accord was seen driving south on Thomasville Road and Piedmont Drive immediately after the shooting. The report states that through the use of law enforcement databases, the car is registered to a confidential witness, who’s currently on monitored release and was shown to be in the area of the shooting via his ankle monitor.
The affidavit says that the CW told deputies that he’s known the suspect, Jakhari Williams, for five years, and as they were driving on Capital Circle Northwest NB passing the new Wawa, Williams saw the victim and told the CW to follow the car the victim was driving. The CW said he didn’t know who the driver was. That’s when the CW said, Williams climbed into the back seat and pulled out a gun as they were turning south onto Thomasville Road.
The confidential witness said he told Williams not to shoot as there was a law enforcement officer right in front of them. The report states that Williams told the CW he didn’t care and said the victim insulted his dead family member. That’s when the suspect rolled down the window, and as they passed the victim’s car, he shot at the car multiple times.
The report states, the CW told deputies, after a few stops, he dropped the suspect at the apartments off Bicycle Road and Tennessee Street. He told deputies he never saw Williams get rid of the gun and assumed he still had it with him when he dropped him off.
The affidavit states based on the confidential witness’s statements, along with other witnesses, enough evidence was presented to arrest Williams for two counts of attempted murder and four counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle.
Williams made his first court appearance on Thursday and is being held without bond.
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