Background: News footage of the incident location in Beaumont, Texas, where Brian Lewis was fatally shot (KFDM). Inset: Larry Fitzgerald Williams (Beaumont Police Department).
A Texas man was shot and killed while mowing his lawn, and now police say he had a previous run-in with the alleged gunman.
The Beaumont Police Department reported via Facebook that 54-year-old Larry Fitzgerald Williams was taken into custody on Monday following an investigation into the murder of 51-year-old Brian Lewis. Lewis was shot on Saturday while tending to his lawn by an assailant who was captured on neighborhood surveillance escaping on a motorcycle.
Williams was arrested after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, which reportedly included details of a history of violence between the suspect and his alleged victim.
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According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by local Fox affiliate KFDM, Williams was previously accused of a violent attack against Lewis in an incident that took place in 2024. The trial against Williams, who was charged with aggravated assault, was scheduled to begin in July.
The affidavit reportedly stated that “Williams had made multiple statements that Lewis needed to drop charges or Williams would kill Lewis.” According to KDFM, Williams had been featured in a segment about the previous assault, during which Williams allegedly beat Lewis with brass knuckles, which resulted in a monthslong period in the intensive care unit. Lewis reportedly suffered injuries to his head and skull.
After the KDFM segment, which was titled “On the Run,” Williams surrendered to police.
On Saturday, Beaumont Police stated that they responded to reports of a shooting at Lewis’ rental home at 1:44 p.m. Lewis had been cutting his lawn on a riding lawnmower when he was shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
At around 1:45 p.m., a figure on a motorcycle was captured on camera by the Beaumont Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center. The description was similar to Williams, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Sunday. He was taken into custody in Houston.
Police said that Williams allegedly “targeted the victim,” referring to Lewis, because he was “cooperating in a criminal case against him.”
