UPDATED 11/30/23, 4:19 p.m. ET: Basketball prospect Mikey Williams has plead guilty to a single count of making criminal threats, according to Amber Coakley of Fox 5 San Diego.
On Thursday, Williams made his decision and will see his charge reduced to a misdemeanor once he completes anger and gun safety courses before he's sentenced in August 2024.
See original story below.
High school basketball star Mikey Williams will have to stand trial for six felony gun charges, according to an order made by a Superior Court judge on Tuesday.
Judge Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor has scheduled for Williams to return to court on Oct. 24 for arraignment, and she denied the prosecution from getting a $500,000 bail increase. The 19-year-old is facing five charges of assault with a weapon and one count of firing into an occupied vehicle. If found guilty, he could get up to 28 years in prison.
The Memphis Tigers five-star recruit was arrested in April on five felony charges of suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and has been out on $50,000 bond. He was allegedly involved in a shooting at his home in San Diego back in March, where shots were fired at a car with five passengers inside following an argument, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. No one inside the car was injured.
After hearing various testimonies during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday that revealed six people were in the car, Deputy District Attorney George Modlin may give Williams an additional charge. According to Judge Thompson-Taylor, even though witnesses didn't see Williams fire a gun, there is probable cause based on testimony that witnesses saw him with a firearm, threatening to kill them.
Sheriff's Detective Bradley Farr added that the gun described by witnesses was not found in Williams' home when law enforcement obtained a search warrant in April. However, authorities did find a handgun and other weapons.
The 19-year-old's promising basketball future has been put on hold with this case. He's currently enrolled in online classes and still a part of the basketball team at Memphis but has no access to their facilities. In a statement shared by the school last month, Williams' spot on the team will be determined after his case is closed.
