MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A godmother with a gun may have prevented injury or loss of life during a recent shooting in Martinsburg.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office reports Elijah Bilal Williamson, 24 of Martinsburg, has been charged with 18 counts of attempted malicious wounding following the shooting that happened around 7 p.m. Sunday at the Berkeley Gardens Apartments.
BCSD Chief Administrative Officer Eric Burnett said they received reports of “people shooting and a loud disturbance was heard in the background.”
The gunfire reportedly broke out after a physical altercation between two men. Investigators processing the scene found 18 9mm shell casings along with several bullet fragments. There were no injuries, according to Chief Burnett, who credited a godmother with preventing more serious damages.
“There was a lady there. She heard the shots being fired, and one of the, I think it was her godchild, was involved in it somehow,” Burnett said. “She came downstairs with a .380 and she fired some rounds back at them, which stopped this melee of firepower and they actually took off. So she may have stopped all of that.”
One woman who called 911 reported bullets hit the windshield of her vehicle. Two windows in the apartment complex were damaged during the event.
“Investigators with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Division (CID) located the suspect vehicle and the suspect, Elijah Williamson, on W. John Street in Martinsburg, WV,” according to Burnett, who said investigators obtained search warrants and found evidence linking Williamson to the crime.
Williamson is in the Eastern Regional Jail on $150,000 bail.