Mother of slain man speaking out after Sunday’s deadly shooting outside South Bend bar

NILES, Mich. — On Friday, the mother of a Niles man killed in a shooting outside of a bar in South Bend on Sunday said her son’s death is a loss. 

Joann Milligan, the mother of 27-year-old Brandon Williams, said her son has so much talent. In her home in Niles, Milligan laid out various t-shirts, handbags, and a personalized jean jacket made and designed by Williams. 

Williams was killed in a mass shooting that injured 10 people on Mishawaka Avenue outside of Kelly’s Pub on June 23. Milligan said she believes this was her son’s first time at the bar. 

“And his last and that’s the sad part,” said Milligan. 

She said five days after the shooting, her son’s death does not feel real. 

“I be wanting to say ‘Brandon, Brandon’ no but he don’t answer,” she said. 

The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit has not released much information on the shooting. Williams’ family has many questions about what happened on Sunday night. 

Milligan said she knew two of her sons were at the bar and that neither ever carried a gun. However, she said she does not know what happened leading up to the shooting. 

The family claims a first responders stopped a registered nurse from performing life saving procedure on Williams while at the scene. They also claim first responders did not immediately tend to Williams. 

ABC 57 News has reached out to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office about these claims made by the family. 

Along with the reported hundreds of people, Milligan was outside the locked down Memorial Hospital. The family asked about a possible hospital policy that would allow the hospital to let immediate family members enter the building or provide notifications on their loved ones. 

ABC 57 News reached out to Beacon Health Systems regarding the family’s inquiries. 

“I didn’t know what was happening, is he going to paralyzed is he going to be dead,” said Milligan. 

According to Williams’ autopsy, his death was ruled as a homicide. 

Friends and family of Williams washed cars on Friday at St. John’s United Church of Christ on Sycamore Street in Niles to raise money for his funeral. The family has scheduled the funeral on July 5.

“That was my brother and it’s just hard to even describe the pain,” said Tiara Williams, Williams’ sister. 

The family’s pain trickling down from his mother to his sister all the way to his nieces and nephews, who said they miss their ‘Uncle B.’ 

“I wish he could come back,” said Cordae Martin, Williams’ nephew. 

On Friday, Metro Homicide asked for the public’s help to bring in the shooter or shooters. Williams’ aunt, Rita Smith, said the community ‘not wanting to snitch’ is not an excuse. 

“If it was your son, your brother, your ‘Uncle B’ you would want somebody to help you bring that person to justice,” she said. 

The family said they do not want people to retaliate after Williams’ death. Milligan said it’s on the community to do the right thing. 

“You need to put the guns down cause it’s senseless,” she said.  “Anybody can get shot just like what happened to my son.” 

There will be a candlelight vigil at Kelly’s Pub on Saturday at 7 p.m. in memory of Williams. The family plans to attend.