Tranell Williams, a longtime bodyguard for comedian Katt Williams, has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of comedian Reginald "Reggie" Carroll. A DeSoto County grand jury handed down the indictment on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in connection with an August 2025 shooting at a rental home in Southaven where the two men were living as roommates. Williams has said he fired in self-defense. After the indictment, he was fitted with an ankle monitor and released on a $1 million bond.
Prosecutors presented the case to the grand jury this week, and the panel returned the indictment after months of investigation into the August shooting, according to WREG.
Southaven police and prosecutors say officers were called to a Burton Lane residence in late August 2025, where they found Carroll with multiple shotgun wounds. He was taken to Regional One in Memphis and later died of his injuries, CBS Baltimore reported.
Williams has publicly insisted he shot because he felt threatened. In a phone interview with WREG, he claimed Carroll had "pulled guns on him multiple times" and said he fired in self-defense. Williams also told the station the Southaven house was leased to a company connected to Katt Williams and alleged that Carroll used crystal meth and MDMA. Those drug-use allegations have not been independently verified.
DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton has characterized the killing as an isolated dispute between roommates and said there is no indication Katt Williams was involved with the property or the shooting. His comments were made at a press conference and reported by DeSoto County News.
What the indictment means
The indictment moves the case into DeSoto County's criminal court system for arraignment and pretrial proceedings, where prosecutors will formally present evidence and the defense can begin filing motions and shaping its strategy. Under Mississippi law, a conviction for first-degree murder can carry a sentence of life in prison and, in some instances, life without the possibility of parole, according to Mississippi Code 97-3-19.
Reaction from the comedy community
Carroll had been working the comedy circuit and had recently toured with Katt Williams, according to coverage of his death. Fellow performers shared tributes and condolences after news of the fatal shooting, as reported by The Guardian.
The DeSoto County grand-jury indictment marks a new chapter in a case that has already drawn national attention. Court officials have not yet announced a trial date. This story will be updated when DeSoto County prosecutors or court records set the next hearings and file additional charging documents.
