19-year-old shoots grandfather, aunt, kills cousin, then continues frenzy over SW Miami-Dade, police say

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – A 19-year-old is behind bars after a Saturday morning disaster that terrorized a family and a neighborhood in Southwest Miami-Dade. It all happened after a Ruben Warren Williams was confronted by his grandfather with smoking weed and other substances.

Williams is accused of shooting and wounding his grandfather and aunt and murdering his cousin. He is facing several serious charges, including second-degree murder.

According to police documents, Williams became upset when his grandfather spoke to him about his drug use at around 11:15 am Saturday. Williams responded by shooting his grandfather and then his aunt.

The two victims jumped out of a second-floor window to escape the home where the shooting took place along Southwest 294 Street near Southwest 142 Ave.

The male victim reportedly broke both ankles and had gunshot wounds to his back. According to the report, the female had gunshot wounds to her upper limbs.

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In the living room of the house, Williams shot his cousin, identified as 27-year-old Carlton Tillman. Tillman eventually collapsed on the kitchen floor, where Miami-Dade Fire Rescue found him dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

Williams then went upstairs to find his grandfather and aunt, reportedly unaware that they had jumped. Two other adults hid in an upstairs bedroom with their 4 children after hearing gunshots.

Police say the man hiding in the bedroom had his own gun and left the bedroom. He made contact with Williams and they exchanged gunfire, but the man withdrew and went back to the bedroom where he barricaded the door with a dresser.

According to the police, no one hiding in the bedroom was injured.

“There was a verbal dispute in the home that escalated and resulted in gunfire,” said Detective Kristopher Welch of Miami Dade Police on the spot.

Williams then left the house, where he saw his aunt outside. He began chasing her around the neighborhood while firing at her, police said. She escaped the shooter by running to a neighbor’s yard. Exclusive surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News shows a neighbor helping the injured woman.

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Police said Williams also shot and wounded a neighbor’s barking dog.

Williams then escaped from the scene after jumping into the passenger side of a parked vehicle. The unsuspecting woman had stopped on her cell phone to locate the address of a store.

The woman said Williams got into the car, put a gun to her head, and yelled at her to drive. He demanded her phone and wedding ring, the victim told police. She said she gave him the items and Williams held her at gunpoint and forced her to drive around for several hours, she said.

Witnesses told police they saw Williams get into the woman’s black vehicle. Williams had also contacted his sister and told her he had kidnapped a woman in front of her car.

Police finally caught up with Williams on Saturday night and took him into custody.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived on the scene and pronounced Tillman dead. The husband and wife were flown to Jackson Memorial Ryder Trauma in critical condition.