Duval jury convicts Michael Williams Jr. of attempted murder in 2023 Avenues Mall shooting case

Verdict reached more than two years after parking-lot confrontation

A Duval County jury has found Michael Williams Jr. guilty of attempted murder for a shooting that left another man critically injured outside Jacksonville’s Avenues Mall in 2023. Prosecutors alleged the shooting followed a physical confrontation in the mall parking lot on Dec. 1, 2023, during a busy midday period.

Williams faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison. A sentencing date has not been set publicly.

What investigators said happened at the mall

Law enforcement reported that the incident began as a fight between Williams and the victim outside the mall around 1:30–1:40 p.m. The confrontation escalated when Williams pulled out a handgun and shot the victim in the face. After being wounded, the victim ran into the mall seeking help.

Fire-rescue personnel responded shortly afterward and transported the victim to a local hospital. Authorities said the victim’s injuries were critical but the victim survived.

Witness accounts and evidence described in court records

Investigators reported multiple witnesses at the scene, including a friend of the victim who saw the moments leading up to the shooting. In earlier stages of the case, investigators also documented statements from a bystander who reported seeing the two men fighting on the hood of her vehicle before the shot was fired.

Authorities also reported that both the victim and a witness identified Williams in a photo lineup after the shooting. Video from inside the mall circulated publicly at the time showing what appeared to be a blood trail near the food court area, consistent with investigators’ account that the injured man entered the building after being shot.

Prior relationship between the men central to case narrative

Investigators and court documents described a prior relationship between Williams and the victim. The men had been close in the past, but authorities said they later had a falling out connected to a dispute involving a woman. That history became part of the explanation offered by investigators for why the men confronted each other at the mall.

Arrest and next steps in the criminal process

Authorities said Williams left the mall after the shooting in a silver SUV and fled out of state. Detectives later located him in Louisiana, where he was arrested.

• The guilty verdict resolves the central question of criminal responsibility for the shooting.

• Sentencing will determine the length and conditions of punishment, with the statutory maximum reaching life in prison.

Attempted-murder cases typically turn on proving intent and linking the defendant to the act through witness testimony, identification procedures, and corroborating evidence from the scene.

With the verdict now entered, the case moves into the sentencing phase, where the court will weigh the jury’s findings and the applicable sentencing guidelines and enhancements under Florida law.