Seven years after gunfire sent shoppers scrambling through Orland Square mall, a jury in Orland Park finally began hearing the case Tuesday against the man accused of pulling the trigger. Jakharr Williams, now facing murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery charges, claims he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed 18-year-old Javon Britten and wounded another man on January 21, 2019.
According to the Chicago Tribune, prosecutors say Williams followed Britten and two of his friends into the mall after the group left a store and walked near the food court. Williams began yelling at the group, prosecutors said, and words were exchanged before he opened fire. The outlet's account from Tuesday's proceedings states Williams fired six shots, while an earlier Daily Southtown report on the case put the number at seven — a discrepancy the dossier record does not resolve.
Britten, a senior at Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, was struck and later died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. A second man, Jonathan Reynolds, was grazed by a bullet in the back of his left knee; he was treated at AdventHealth La Grange and released the same day. Reynolds, who was 30 when he testified, told the court he heard Britten's group arguing among themselves as they walked away from the food court, after an earlier exchange in a restroom where Britten's friends had commented on Reynolds' jacket.
Chaos Inside the Mall as Shots Rang Out
Reynolds and his girlfriend ran toward the Apple Store on the mall's lower level once gunfire erupted, taking refuge inside before slipping out a back door, the report states. Prosecutors said other shoppers hid in the rear of stores as mall workers closed security gates for safety. The scene was photographed in the shooting's aftermath by Chicago Tribune photographer Armando L. Sanchez.
Prosecutors also told jurors that Williams carried prior felony convictions for robbery and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon before the shooting. Assistant State's Attorney Cheryl Galvin described Williams as someone who was looking for a fight and carrying a loaded firearm through the mall that day, per the same account.
Defense Points to Gaps in the Camera Coverage
Defense attorney David Drwencke told jurors that the prosecution and defense agree on many of the underlying facts, but that he intends to present evidence about Britten's own role in the confrontation. Drwencke said Williams and Britten had prior history and unresolved issues that surfaced that day, and that Britten had to be restrained by his friends after words were exchanged and before shots were fired, according to the defense attorney's own account relayed by the Tribune.
Drwencke also noted that the shooting took place in an area of Orland Square that was under construction at the time and was not captured by mall surveillance cameras — meaning jurors will have to rely on testimony rather than video to piece together what happened. He told jurors they would be left with unanswered questions even after hearing all the evidence. Separately, the dossier notes Williams' attorney has said the defense would introduce evidence of alleged years of bullying or harassment by Britten, according to a Yahoo News report.
A Case Years in the Making
The trial's start caps a long and difficult path through the courts. The case was rescheduled twice before, with dates previously set for March 30 and June 15 of this year before Judge Margaret Ogarek postponed the jury trial at the Bridgeview Courthouse to October 19. One earlier delay came after Armani Griffin, a prosecution witness, refused to appear and was arrested and held in contempt of court. Galvin said at the time that Griffin's testimony remained uncertain but that jurors would still hear about the events of that January night.
Williams was deemed fit to stand trial back in December 2021 and has been held without bond since he was charged, according to a Daily Southtown report from the Chicago Tribune. Illinois Department of Corrections records cited in that reporting indicate Williams was on parole for his robbery conviction at the time of the shooting, with that parole term not due to end until June 2020.
