Left inset: Charmaine William (GoFundMe). Right inset: Larry Jefferson (Facebook). Background: Larry Jefferson in court for the shooting death of Charmaine William in Milwaukee, Wisc., earlier this month (WITI/YouTube).
A Wisconsin mother driving with her boyfriend and 9-year-old son, as well as her 2-year-old niece, was gunned down before their very eyes earlier this month — with a “gangster” motorcyclist firing multiple shots through her windshield after getting into a minor fender bender with her, cops say.
Larry Jefferson, 29, is accused of shooting Charmaine William, 29, on the north side of Milwaukee on Aug. 6, according to his criminal complaint, which was obtained by Law&Crime on Thursday. William”s family has labeled the incident as a “road rage” killing, describing it on GoFundMe as a “senseless, unfathomable act of violence.”
William’s son, who is identified as “DD” in the complaint, was found “crying” inside his mom’s vehicle after the shooting. Cops say the boy couldn’t understand what had happened to his mom and why she was targeted while they were driving near N. Sherman Boulevard and Hampton Avenue. William died near 31st Street and Fairmount Avenue, in front of her house.
“DD asked Detective Braunreiter why this person killed his mom,” the complaint says. “Detective Braunreiter stated that he did not know. DD then stated that Detective Braunreiter is a police detective and asked if Detective Braunreiter would ever be able to tell him why this person killed his mom.”
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The boy recalled how Jefferson — who is charged with first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon — was on a “cruiser”-style motorcycle and wearing a vest with “gangster stickers” on it consistent with a description of jackets and vests “with motorcycle club patches on it,” the complaint alleges. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the area and Jefferson was allegedly caught on video passing through an intersection behind William, while wearing similar clothes that her son described, the complaint says.
A Facebook group named “Cliqueriders MC” was probed by police and photos matching Jefferson’s clothing and “cruiser” motorcycle were found on it, cops say.
“The club members in the photos posted on August 4, 2025 appeared to primarily be older black males, with one in particular being considerably younger,” the complaint alleges. “This younger black male was consistent with the suspect description provided by DD (short hair, early 30’s, chin beard, wearing a vest with motorcycle patches). In these photos this younger individual also had a black handgun with an extended magazine tucked in his front waistband. Importantly, in one of these photos this same young person is seated on a black cruiser style Harley Davison motorcycle.”
The purported photos of Jefferson’s motorcycle were run through the police Automatic License Plate Reading (FLOCK) camera database and the bike was found trailing behind William’s car on the day of her shooting death, according to the complaint. Police say the Facebook photos are all “consistent with both the suspect as described by DD and the suspect motorcycle captured on the FLOCK camera system.”
Asked what may have sparked the shooting, William’s son told investigators that “a motorcycle hit the back of their car” and then the rider “pulled a firearm and shot ‘his mamma,'” according to the complaint.
“(The boy) stated that the motorcycle pulled around their vehicle on the driver’s side and the rider of the motorcycle pulled a gun from between his legs and shot his mom through the windshield,” police allege.
Investigators allegedly found five “fired brass CCI .45 caliber cartridge casings” in the road on N. Sherman Boulevard. The casings were analyzed and determined to be “consistent” with all having been fired by the same firearm, the complaint says.
As the investigation unfolded, cops were able to identify Jefferson through the Facebook photos and get a search warrant for his house. They allegedly recovered a “motorcycle club vest” that matched the one worn by the rider captured on camera trailing behind William, and a “black Glock 30 .45 caliber handgun with holster and extended magazine,” according to the complaint.
“The firearm was loaded with brass CCI .45 caliber cartridges,” the complaint says. “This .45 caliber handgun was taken to the Fusion Center where it [was] subjected to NIBIN analysis and determined to be consistent with being the firearm that fired all five .45 caliber cartridge casings at the homicide location.”
William’s family says on GoFundMe that her body “dropped in front of the very home where she created a haven for her babies.” She had four children and was described as a “fierce protector” who had her “dreams wrapped entirely around their futures.”
“He just did it for no reason,” said William’s sister, Tanua Deberry, in an interview with local FOX affiliate WITI. “No reason at all.”
Jefferson was being held on a $300,000 bond this week in Milwaukee County. He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 9 for a scheduling conference.
