Parents of 17-year-old killed in Fort Worth shooting say he was mature, selfless young man
The family of Breck Gerard Williams Jr., the 17-year-old shot and killed outside a Fort Worth home on Panay Way Drive on Jan. 4, is remembering him as a mature, selfless, loving person who was excited about his future.
Williams Jr. died at a Fort Worth hospital of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office. Police said a 14-year-old, previously identified by a GoFundMe as Adrian Daniels, was also killed. Police have not announced any arrests in the shooting.
Breck Williams Sr. said his son was growing into a responsible adult and had plans of starting a career and getting an apartment of his own while continuing to pursue his dreams of success in the music industry.
Knowing the potential and maturity their son had makes the heartbreak of his death even more unbearable, Williams Sr. and Williams Jr’s mother, Verline Leger, said. Their biggest concern right now is making sure people know who Williams Jr. was beyond the victim of a homicide.
“We don’t want his name to be tarnished,” Leger said.
His family said they didn’t know exactly why he was outside that home when the shooting happened but that Williams Jr. had some friends in that neighborhood who he knew when the family used to lived in the area. A couple of years ago, the family moved to a different part of Fort Worth, but Williams Jr. stayed in contact with some of his friends he’d made at school and among neighbors.
They said police haven’t told them anything about what happened and they have no idea why anybody would want to shoot their son. They’re desperate for answers, Leger said. Daniels’ family also said the 14-year-old was visiting the neighborhood and they didn’t know why he was shot.
Williams Jr. grew up in Beaumont, something his father said made him a country boy at heart. The family moved to Fort Worth in 2016.
Williams Sr. grew up without his father in his life, so it was very important to him that he was an active, positive part of his children’s lives and they were always around family, he said.
Leger said Williams Jr.’s experience growing up in the country and spending lots of time with his parents, siblings and grandparents helped him develop a big heart. She credits his good nature paired with his upbringing for his desire to help in any way he could when he saw others in need.
“If his friends had nowhere to go, he would bring them here and they would stay with us and stay the night,” Leger said.
Williams Sr. added that if his son found out one of his friends didn’t have food for lunch for any reason, he would give them what his parents bought for him. And he never complained when his parents asked him to watch over his sister if they both had to work after the kids were out of school.
He also did his best to take good care of his parents. Williams Sr. said he has diabetes, and his son was always adamant about making sure his father was taking care of his health.
“That boy used to come in here and say, ‘Dad, you all right? Dad, did you eat? Dad, did you take your medicine? Dad, do you have any candy? You know you’re not supposed to do that,’ ” Williams Sr. said.
Williams Sr. was excited about how his relationship with his son was changing as Williams Jr. grew up.
“He was developing that good trust of a teenager turning into a grown man,” he said. “I could trust him. He knew he could talk to me about anything. We could confide in each other. Developing that relationship is something that I didn’t ever have.”
While Williams Jr. had hopes of forging a career in music, Leger said she and Williams Sr. were proud their son was also looking at other ways to ensure financial stability while he worked toward that.
Williams Jr. was planning to follow his father’s advice and get a commercial driver’s license as soon as he turned 18, hoping to work alongside his dad at Republic Services in Fort Worth. He wasn’t giving up his dreams, his parents said, and they encouraged him to keep following them. He was just going to make sure he could be financially independent as an adult, no matter what happened with his music.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses. They’re asking the community to help raise $10,000. Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/homegoing-for-Breck-Williams-Jr.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 5:44 PM.