A minor collision between two cars in a Whitehaven apartment parking lot on Christmas Day erupted into a hail of nearly 130 bullets, and the crossfire killed a bystander standing outside his own townhouse. Montavius Wells, 29, has now been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Cadarious Williams, months after the shooting outside the Winchester Grove Apartments.
Memphis Police responded to a shooting call at Winchester Grove Apartments in the Whitehaven neighborhood at 4:06 p.m. on December 25, 2025, according to Action News 5. Williams was found with gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital, police said. Investigators later determined that Williams had been standing outside his townhouse when he was struck in the crossfire.
A Dispute Over Collision Damage Turns Deadly
According to an arrest affidavit cited by the outlet, the gunfire stemmed from an argument between two groups of men after one car rear-ended another in the parking lot. The two groups reportedly disagreed over who should pay for the collision damage, and both parties began shooting at one another, the affidavit states. Williams was not involved in the dispute but was struck by gunfire from the group responsible for the collision, per the affidavit.
Investigators recovered approximately 130 cartridge casings at the scene, according to the National Gun Violence Memorial, underscoring the sheer volume of gunfire exchanged in the residential complex over what began as a fender-bender. Williams, who performed locally under the stage name “2 Juice” and was affiliated with NEW M.$.E Recording Studio, was among the neighborhood's own artists caught in the crossfire, per the same memorial listing.
Neighbor Tenia Strickland, reacting to the case, put it bluntly: “somebody tapped somebody's car, and that's what took place, and a guy lost his life over a tap,” she said, according to Action News 5. Strickland also described a broader pattern of “young people losing their lives over senseless minor disputes,” the outlet reported.
Suspects Detained, Then Released, Before Arrest
Immediately after the shooting, Memphis Police pursued a fleeing vehicle and detained five suspects near Elvis Presley Boulevard, according to WATN-TV. Officials confirmed those five suspects were released shortly after being detained, with no charges filed against them. It remains unclear what specific role, if any, those individuals played in the shooting.
Investigators say a blue Mitsubishi Outlander connected to the group involved in the collision was found the next day at a different apartment complex. A witness later identified Wells from a photo lineup as one of the shooters, according to police, and Wells was identified as the driver of the Outlander.
Federal Task Force Made the Arrest
Wells was not taken into custody by local investigators alone. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Wells is a documented member of the Vice Lords gang and was arrested on January 6, 2026, by the Memphis Safe Task Force on a first-degree murder warrant issued December 26, 2025. The Memphis Safe Task Force, established in September 2025, unites federal agents, state police, local law enforcement, and the Tennessee National Guard to combat violent crime and serve outstanding felony warrants across the city, the Marshals Service said.
Wells was booked Monday, according to jail records, and is being held without bond. He faces charges of first-degree murder and employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and he is scheduled to appear in court on September 21.
What Wells Could Face in Court
Under Tennessee Code § 39-13-202, a first-degree murder conviction in Tennessee carries a statutory penalty of death, life imprisonment without parole, or life imprisonment with parole eligibility only after serving a mandatory 51 years, according to Justia Law. Separately, Tennessee Code § 39-17-1324 mandates that a conviction for employing a firearm during a dangerous felony carry a prison sentence served consecutively to any sentence for the underlying crime, per FindLaw.
A Complex With a Troubled History
The Winchester Grove Apartments is a 446-unit low-income housing complex in Whitehaven that has long struggled with violent crime, including past carjackings and homicides, according to MLK50. The property was also the site of a major multi-unit apartment fire in January 2026, Hoodline previously reported in its piece on the blaze that drew a swarm of first responders. In April 2026, emergency crews responded to another disturbance at the complex after a driver crashed directly into an apartment building at 4:30 a.m., according to a report from WATN-TV.
The Christmas Day shooting fits into a broader pattern of gun violence at Whitehaven apartment complexes throughout 2026, including a June shooting at the nearby Winbranch Apartments that left one man dead and a woman in critical condition, as Hoodline reported at the time. The identities and motives of the opposing shooters in the December crossfire, beyond Wells, have not been publicly disclosed.
