A Young Life Taken

It has been years since the young life of Travis Williams was taken. This tragic death did not have to happen. The people around him that loved and supported him did not need to lose such a sweet young friend. His family did not have to lose a cousin, a grandson, a son, or a brother. However, the life that he chose made it impossible to live the life that others thought he could live. Still in high school when he was gunned down at a drug deal gone wrong.

Was this what really happened though? For years we were all under the impression that the gunman went after Travis because he was the drug dealer and he was gunned down because the other dealer wanted more than what Travis was giving. The thought was that the killer had wanted the drugs and the money.

Now, looking back at the news articles, and newspapers there seems to be another story. Richard Johnson along with four others had been arrested in the shootings of Travis, his cousin Arthur, and a friend Margo. The shootings resulted in the deaths of Travis and Arthur as well as the attempted murder of the third victim who survived.

Court documents say Kyle was shot after he got out of a truck to buy the drugs. Richard and Aryan Neal are accused of firing into the truck where Travis and Margo King were sitting after Arthur was shot.

So which story is true? If this story is true then Travis was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he got caught in the crossfire of his cousins' bad deal. Was he the one selling drugs? Were there two guys or five guys? Was it just Travis and his cousin like for years we were all told?

Because he and his friend would have been witnesses to the killing of his cousin. Travis was killed and his whole life gone. Thankfully for Margo's family, she was the sole survivor, and her parents, siblings, and friends did not have to face the same fate as Travis and Arthur's friends and families.

Those of us closest to Travis and those of us who really knew him knew what a special young man he was. How he was trying to make his life better he was trying to make sure that he did good in school and that he did not struggle. He was focusing on his studies so that he could graduate, he was trying to make his mother proud. Those of us that knew him well knew that he could accomplish many things if he had had the chance, but a senseless thoughtless act was all it took to take him away from that life that he so deserving wanted.

Then after he passed away there were lies about him calling him a drug dealer. Saying that he was shot because he tried to screw somebody that he was selling drugs to, but from what the papers say after he passed away he didn't even get out of the vehicle I do not feel that that is proper closure for his family. If Margo's parents had kids other than Margo, that would be tough for them because why would they ever want their kids to leave the house again? Margo did not need to die, her death was just as senseless as Travis's. Even if Arthur was there to buy pot why did he have to die? Why are people dying over pot? Nobody should die over pot. Talk to your kids about drugs people, let us stop the thoughtless, senseless killings before somebody else's son or daughter is at the other end of that gun. If you want some green weeds go pull some out of your yard.