Friends remember father, son killed in San Bernardino triple homicide

SAN BERNARDINO >> Police released more details Saturday moing in the fatal shooting of two men and a 9-year-old boy as friends paid tribute to the victims outside of a San Beardino liquor store.

Samathy Mahan, 25, Travon “Hefty” Lamar Williams, 26, and Travon Williams, 9, all of San Beardino were identified as the three killed Friday night outside of Superior Liquor, 2950 Del Rosa Ave., according to a San Beardino police news release.

Friends who lit candles outside the store Saturday moing said that Travon Lamar Williams and his son, Travon Williams, were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

• Photos: Friends and family mou three killed in shooting

A soccer ball with the words “We love you Travon” was among the candles and flowers left at the scene of the triple homicide.

Superior Liquor store manger Saif Baji said Travon Lamar Williams and his son came in every day. The two were laughing and joking while leaving the store Friday night, Baji said.

The gunman, who was still at-large Saturday, waited outside the store for the victims to exit before opening fire and hitting all three victims, the release states. One of the men died at the scene, while the other man and boy were taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center where they later died, Lt. Brian Harris said Friday.

“It was a big gun, like a .45,” said Baji of the silver handgun used in the slayings.

• Related Story: 2 men, 1 boy dead in San Beardino shooting

Baji said that Travon Lamar Williams “almost got away” after the shooting began. According to Baji, the gunman shot the boy in the head first, then Mahan and ran after Travon Lamar Williams and shot him several times.

“I watched him die right before my eyes,” Baji said of Travon Williams. “It was terrible.”

Travon Williams is the youngest homicide victim of 2016 and the deaths bring the total homicide count up to 38 in San Beardino. Jason Spears, killed earlier this year near the coer of North Orange Street and East Love Lane, was 12.

The boy’s age was initially reported as 10-years-old by Chief Jarrod Burguan Friday. Once a date of birth was given for Travon Williams, it was determined that he was still 9-years-old, Sgt. Vicki Cervantes said Saturday.

Police believe that Mahan, a documented gang member and a recently paroled felon, may have been the intended target of the shooting, according to the release.

• Video: Friends light candles in memory of Travon Lamar Williams and his son

Travon Lamar Williams was not into gangs and worked to bring people together, said Aguadia Brown 27, of San Beardino who went to school with him at San Gorgonio High School.

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“He was a jokester with a great smile,” Brown said. “He was a great dancer.”

San Beardino resident Le’mon Walker, 23, who grew up with Travon Lamar Williams remembered him as the “life of the party” who rapped well and had a dance crew.

Travon Williams “was just like his dad,” said Jessica Collier, 25, of San Beardino, adding that the boy was smart.

“When I heard about it, I was really surprised,” Unique Johnson, 8, of San Beardino, said of her classmate Travon Williams’ death. “He’s the first kid in my class that just died like that.”

• Photos: One child, two adults killed in San Beardino triple shooting

Johnson came with her mother to pay their respects outside the liquor store. She said the two of them played tag together and she helped Travon Williams with his math homework.

“He was really nice to me,” Johnson said.

The gunman ran south on Del Rosa and disappeared after the shooting. While no new information about the male suspect has been released, investigators are asking for public assistance in identifying him and have released surveillance images of the alleged gunman.

• Map: How to keep track of San Beardino’s 38 homicides in 2016

“Enough is enough. ... As a community, please tu him in!” Lt. Travis Walker tweeted Saturday of the suspect urging the public to come forward if they had information. “Break the ‘code’ of the street. He doesn’t deserve anonymity!”

Anyone who has information regarding the case is asked to contact San Beardino police Detective Marco Granado at 909-953-4675 or Sgt. Robert Sullivan at 909-384-5663.

Staff writers Micah Escamilla and Sarah Batcha contributed to this report.