EL CAJON, Calif.—San Ysidro High School basketball star Mikey Williams pleaded not guilty April 20 to felony counts of assault with a firearm and shooting at an occupied vehicle stemming from a shooting that happened outside his home in Jamul.
Williams, an 18-year-old social media star with a multimillion-dollar endorsement portfolio who committed to play at the University of Memphis next season, was arrested last week in connection with the March 27 shooting.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, gunfire erupted just before midnight following an argument “about guests in the house being asked to leave.”
As a car occupied by five people—three of them minors—drove away, it was struck by gunfire, sheriff’s officials say. However, no one inside the car was hit.
Williams’s defense attorney, Troy Owens, posted a statement online indicating an altercation that broke out at Williams’s home was “initiated by several uninvited individuals entering the home and causing a disturbance.”
The attorney wrote that there were reports of gunshots being fired and Williams allegedly matched the description of the shooter.
However, Owens wrote, “We are aware of several narratives being advanced online that are not factual and are designed to humiliate Mr. Williams. We are confident that the truth will come to light. Mr. Williams is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. He maintains his innocence and will cooperate with the criminal process.”
Williams, who faces up to 28 years in state prison if convicted of all charges, remains out of custody on $50,000 bail and will not have to appear in a courtroom in person until his preliminary hearing, which is currently set for late June.
Williams entered his pleas remotely on Thursday morning. He agreed to a Fourth Amendment waiver—which allows law enforcement to search his property and person without a warrant or probable cause—and agreed not to possess any firearms or ammunition. He was also ordered to stay away from the five alleged victims.
Former NBA All-Star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, who is the head coach of the University of Memphis men’s basketball team, declined to comment to the Memphis Commercial Appeal earlier this week regarding Williams’s case, but said, “I’m going to continue to recruit ... as of right now, Mikey is still with us.”
