Star basketball prospect Mikey Williams pleads not guilty to gun charges
Williams attended his arraignment via Zoom due to security concerns
Top basketball prospect and Memphis commit Miley Williams pleaded not guilty to multiple charges concerning a shooting at his home during a hearing Thursday in San Diego.
Williams, who emerged in recent years as one of the most popular amateur basketball players on social media, was arrested last week. According to police, Williams fired a gun at a car full of people who were leaving his home on March 27. He was held on charges of assault with a deadly weapon in connection to the shooting.
The 18-year-old was booked April 13 and released on $50,000 bail just after midnight April 14.
"Five people got into a car, and as they were driving away, shots were fired," according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department incident report. "The car was hit, but no one was hurt."
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune and NBC 7 San Diego, Williams was booked on suspicion of five felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The San Diego Sheriff's Department told ESPN that Williams will likely face just one charge.
Williams' attorney, Troy P. Owens, told reporters that Williams appeared at his hearing Thursday virtually on account of security concerns. His Instagram account, which had amassed 3.8 million followers, was deactivated April 14. He had also garnered 2.1 million followers on TikTok, with his highlights reaching millions of views on YouTube.
The 6-foot-3 guard Cis ranked No. 31 nationally in the lass of 2023 by Rivals. His San Ysidro High School teammate J.J. Taylor (No. 60 in the class) also committed to play for coach Penny Hardaway in November. The duo is part of a six-man recruiting class ranked No. 3 in the country behind Kentucky and Duke. Williams is the highest-rated player in the class.
In a statement, Memphis said it was “aware of the situation” and “gathering more information.” Earlier this week, Hardaway told The Commercial Appeal that he "didn't have enough information" to comment on the case.
