Memphis basketball’s top signee from the class of 2023, Mikey Williams, was arrested Thursday on felony gun charges in his hometown of San Diego, California.
According to a report by CBS 8, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Williams was booked into the Central jail at approximately 3:30 p.m PT on five counts of assault with a deadly weapon using a firearm.
Per ESPN, the department’s lieutenant, Gavin Lanning, said that he will likely face one charge, which would be “assaulting someone with a firearm.”
The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.
The details about the incident are still vague at this point, with little avail as to the motive behind the charges. According to the arrest reports, the assault began after multiple people left a residence following an argument. Shortly after, shots were fired, striking a vehicle with five people inside. The car was hit, but no injuries were sustained.
After a search warrant was executed by law enforcement, Williams was arrested. He was released on $50,000 bail after midnight on Friday, and is due to appear in court on April 20.
No representation for Williams has commented on the arrest.
As expected, the news spread quickly about the unfortunate events surrounding the basketball star, who has millions of followers on social media and become a major name in the NIL space in 2021 as the first to sign on with a major rep— Excel Sports Management.
His valuations have been forecasted at over $3 million, which includes a deal with Puma—also a first—but much of that is now in an unknown as more details are revealed about the case.
The University of Memphis stated its “aware of the situation and is gathering more information.”
The highly rated guard was slated to join a top 10 class for the Tigers and head coach Anfernee Hardaway.
