A Memphis mother has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Youth Villages Foundation after her 22-year-old son, Matthew De’Marcus Williams, was shot and killed during a Memphis Allies anti-violence meeting on April 9, 2025.
On Feb. 27, 2026, Krystal Williams Buck filed the suit, alleging that Youth Villages failed to keep participants safe at the program’s Hickory Hill site, where five other people were also wounded in the attack outside the meeting. Buck is seeking monetary damages and a legal finding that Youth Villages is responsible for her son’s death.
The filing was first noted by local outlets and, according to Action News 5, names Youth Villages, Inc. and Youth Villages Foundation, Inc. as defendants. The complaint claims staff and leadership failed to provide adequate security and continued running programming at the Hickory Hill location despite what it describes as known risks.
What The Complaint Alleges
The 117-page complaint accuses Youth Villages of negligence and recklessness, arguing the organization “knowingly and willingly exposed participants to grave danger” by not installing or staffing appropriate safety measures. It includes program materials and grant proposals that Buck’s attorneys say show Youth Villages’ role in running the Memphis Allies SWITCH model and in receiving public funding for the work. The suit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages. The full filing is available via Scribd.
Arrest And Investigation
In May 2025, Memphis police arrested Pacarie Roberts and charged him with criminal responsibility for facilitation of first-degree murder, arson, and theft of property in connection with the April 9 shooting, Action News 5 reported. Six people were shot during the incident, and Williams, 22, died at the scene. The arrest followed an increase in rewards from CrimeStoppers and local donors for tips in the case. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he was “pleased an arrest was made in this case” and encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
Program Background
Memphis Allies is Youth Villages’ community-based violence intervention effort that combines street outreach, life coaching, and clinical services under the SWITCH model, according to Hoodline’s prior reporting on the initiative. Launched in 2022, the program has expanded its neighborhood sites and staff to reach people considered at high risk for violence. The complaint leans on those program documents and funding proposals to argue that Youth Villages exercised control over operations at the Hickory Hill site. For more on the initiative, see Hoodline’s look at Memphis Allies' 24/7 push.
Legal Implications
The lawsuit frames the case as one of premises-and-operations negligence, arguing that Youth Villages had a duty to protect participants, breached that duty, and thereby proximately caused Williams’ death, according to the court filing. It requests a jury trial and asks the court for economic and punitive damages, attaching funding records and program materials to support those claims. The relief sought, Scribd shows, includes both monetary compensation and a formal legal finding of liability.
What Happens Next
The complaint was filed Feb. 27, 2026, in Shelby County Circuit Court. Youth Villages will have an opportunity to respond to the claims, and the court docket will set timelines for motions, briefing, and any hearings. Hoodline will continue to track new filings and local coverage as the case moves forward and will update this story as key documents or court dates become public.
