News

Actions

Charges issued in deadly shooting at Detroit baby shower after argument between longtime friends

Posted at 5:03 PM, Oct 24, 2023
and last updated 2023-10-24 17:03:19-04

Charges have been filed against a woman accused of shooting and killing her longtime friend at a baby shower in Detroit earlier this month.

They have also been filed against the victim's son, who allegedly hit the suspect with his car outside of the police department following the shooting.

Shawanda Woods, 44, of Ypsilanti, is charged in the deadly shooting of 53-year-old Phebe Williams on Oct. 15. She's facing second-degree murder and felony firearms charges.

The deadly shooting took place during an argument at a house on Edmore Street on Detroit's east side where the baby shower was being held.

Relatives of Williams tell 7 Action News that her longtime friend had not been invited but came anyway.

"She's a friend of the family. They'd been friends since they was kids," said Williams' niece Shavonda Carter. "I don't understand why would she even pull a gun out."

On Sunday the 15th, according to relatives of both women, they argued about one of Williams' sons who was also at the baby shower.

They say Woods accused Williams' son of a crime and even reportedly went to Detroit police about it a couple of days before.

During the argument, Phebe Williams reportedly hit her friend and someone else may have spit on her. The woman then produced a gun and fired a fatal shot, killing Williams.

"Y'all could have just fought. You didn't have to pull a gun," Carter said. "There's kids in the house. It's a lot of people in the house so why would you pull out a gun?"

The woman left the location and called Detroit Police to say what she had done as she headed to DPD's 9th precinct on Gratiot Avenue, just a few miles away from the house where the baby shower and shooting took place.

What the woman may not have been aware of is that Phebe Williams' son apparently followed her because he was also there in the parking lot of the police station and when the woman exited her vehicle, he struck her with his car.

Williams' son, Leandre Devon Love, 36, was charged with assault with intent to murder and felonious assault. He was given a $100,000 personal bond.

Woods was remanded to jail and will be in court next week.