24-year-old charged with murder in shooting death of his stepdad stemmed from argument, sheriff says

In Harris County, a 24-year-old man faces murder charges following a fatal shooting involving his stepfather during an argument in north Harris County overnight.

The victim, identified as Shawn Leonard Williams, 47, was discovered with a single upper torso gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed by the sheriff’s department.

Lazarus Richard Williams, the victim’s stepson, aged 24, has been arrested and charged with murder. He has been booked into the Harris County Jail.

The incident occurred around 1 a.m. in the 12000 block of Meadowview Drive, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Lazarus contacted 911, reporting that he had shot his stepfather following an altercation. Upon arrival, EMS and deputies took Lazarus and three other witnesses into custody.

The witnesses included Shawn’s adult son, Lazarus’ mother, and his girlfriend. Following interrogation by investigators, it was revealed that despite residing in the same household, tensions had been brewing between the stepson and stepfather.

The altercation escalated after Lazarus and Shawn returned from a neighbor’s house where they had been attending a crawfish boil and engaged in a heated argument while consuming alcohol. Deputies reported that Shawn retrieved an airsoft gun, while Lazarus obtained a real firearm. Subsequently, Lazarus discharged a single shot at his stepfather.

Authorities noted that Lazarus remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.