The man accused of driving the truck in a drive-by shooting that killed a 4-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man at a Detroit playground told a judge he was sorry for his role in the attack. William Wheeler expressed remorse for his part in the deadly shooting during a recent court appearance.
According to FOX 2 Detroit, Wheeler addressed the court as the case against him and co-defendant Brandon Ware moves toward trial. The shooting happened June 27 at Skinner Playfield, where Samir Grubbs, 4, and Daviyon Shelmonson-Bey, 18, were fatally shot, as reported by The Independent. A third person, an unnamed 17-year-old, was also wounded in the gunfire.
Investigators allege Ware rode in a truck driven by Wheeler to the playground, where Ware fired at people he believed were involved in an earlier altercation. Ware, 18, and Wheeler, 19, are each charged with two counts of first-degree murder, among other offenses, per the same account from The Independent.
Charges Filed by Wayne County Prosecutors
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced the charges in a July 2025 release stating that Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Brandon Lee Ware and William McKinley Wheeler in connection with the homicides of a 4-year-old boy and an 18-year-old male, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. The release did not specify the exact counts filed against each man beyond the homicide charges.
Judge Orders Both Men to Stand Trial
In October 2025, a judge ruled there was enough evidence for both men to face trial following a two-day preliminary examination. Judge Shawn Jacque determined that there was enough evidence for Ware and Wheeler to stand trial, as reported by The Detroit News.
Wheeler’s attorney pushed back on the murder charge during that hearing, arguing there was no evidence Wheeler knew Ware was going to shoot out the window of his pickup as he drove. The defense’s position centers on whether Wheeler could be held responsible for a shooting he did not personally carry out, even as prosecutors maintain he helped Ware during the crime by driving him to the scene.
