A 39-year-old man was shot in the foot outside a Central Islip apartment building early Saturday morning, then allegedly chased down the vehicle that fired on him and shot back into the street. Suffolk County Police say Demetrius Williams now faces felony charges of his own for that retaliatory gunfire, even though he was the one who was wounded first.
An Ambush Before Dawn on Hawthorne Avenue
According to News12 New York, the shooting unfolded around 6:10 a.m. Saturday as Williams was retrieving items from a parked vehicle on Hawthorne Avenue near Feller Drive. Detectives say an unknown occupant inside a passing gray SUV fired two shots, striking Williams in the foot. Police reported that Williams then ran after the SUV and fired multiple shots at it, according to Patch.
Officers responded to 221 Hawthorne Ave. after the shots were reported, per News12's account of the incident. Responding patrol officers from the Suffolk County Police Department's Third Precinct located Williams as he attempted to flee the area and arrested him in a nearby alleyway, the outlet reported. Authorities say they do not immediately know the whereabouts of the gray SUV or its occupants.
Felony Charges for Returning Fire
Suffolk County Police charged Williams with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment after determining he had discharged a firearm in retaliation on a residential street, per the same Patch report. Under New York State Penal Law, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon is classified as a Class C violent felony carrying up to 15 years in prison, while first-degree reckless endangerment is a Class D felony carrying up to 7 years, according to the New York State Senate. The charges illustrate a stark legal reality: firing back after being shot at does not shield a person from prosecution when the gunfire endangers a public street.
Williams was treated for his non-life-threatening foot injuries at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, per News12. The facility is an American College of Surgeons-verified Level I Trauma Center operated by Northwell Health, formerly known as Southside Hospital, and it serves as a major regional emergency hub for gun violence victims across the area.
Repeated Gun Violence on the Same Street
Williams was held at the Suffolk County Police Department's Third Precinct following his arrest and is scheduled to be arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Central Islip, per News12. Arraignments for felony and misdemeanor arrests occurring in Suffolk County's western townships are conducted at that same Carleton Avenue courthouse, according to the Unified Court System. It remains unclear whether Williams and the occupants of the SUV had any prior relationship, or whether Williams was in legal possession of the handgun he fired.
This is not the first violent shooting on Hawthorne Avenue in recent years. In August 2025, Suffolk County Police arrested a 15-year-old and charged him with attempted murder following a June 2025 shooting at the Hawthorne Living apartment complex that wounded two people, according to Newsday. In June 2023, 39-year-old Shayna Staton was fatally shot inside a residence on the same street, triggering a homicide investigation by Suffolk County detectives, per News12.
Central Islip is patrolled by the SCPD Third Precinct, which underwent boundary adjustments years ago aimed at uniting local schools and residential sectors under one command for community policing purposes. Detectives with the Third Squad in Bay Shore are asking anyone with information about the fleeing gray SUV or the shooter to call 631-854-8352, or to reach Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-220-TIPS. The vehicle and its occupants remained unaccounted for as of Saturday.
