TAMPA, Fla. — A Bay Area community is grieving the loss of a woman who is described as a selfless hero who was loved by all.
- Rene Williams, teacher's aide and caretaker, gunned down, killed
- Authorities believe she was shot by her apparent boyfriend Richard Miller
- Wrestler Titus O’Neal: Williams was loved, tried to make community better
Investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office say the victim, identified as Rene Williams, was the victim of a deadly shooting in Brandon Wednesday night.
According to reports the shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Williams was shot in the parking lot of the Westchester Apartments on Nina Elizabeth Circle. She was transported to Brandon Regional Hospital where she later died from her injuries.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said it didn’t take his detectives long to identify the alleged shooter Richard Miller.
“There was a boyfriend, girlfriend relationship, and unfortunately he didn’t like the fact that she was breaking off the relationship, and this is a result of that,” Chronister said.
The sheriff went on to describe how the deadly shooting unfolded.
“She has two jobs. She works at Foster Elementary. Her second job is a caretaker out in Brandon she was doing some nursing work out there. She was getting off shift, and that’s when her boyfriend confronted her and killed her in the parking lot," he said.
A tip is what investigators say led them to the Sulfer Springs home where Miller was located Thursday afternoon without incident. Investigators say they also located the gun used in the deadly shooting inside of that home. He’s being charged with first-degree murder.
During a press conference Thursday the sheriff detailed Miller’s troubling past.
“He’s been arrested 32 times for felony charges. Serious violent charges, such as kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking …” Chronister said.
WWE pro wrestler Titus O’Neal spoke at the press conference with the sheriff Thursday afternoon. He said Williams was his friend, and he had just wrapped up an event with her, taking kids from Foster Elementary School to the movies, hours before getting the call about her death.
“Here it is that a woman working two jobs to support her family and try to live a (life), and try to enhance the lives of so many people, was taken away from this earth way too soon,” he said.
O’Neil plans to pay for Williams’ funeral, and he has a message for the community.
“To the Foster elementary staff, families, Sligh community, that lost a great person, I would say let’s take this opportunity to rally around one another and be the greatest support system we possibly can to make sure this doesn’t happen again in our community,” O’Neil said.
The school district confirmed Williams worked at Foster Elementary School as a teacher’s aide for a decade. And we’re told she worked as a caretaker for people with special needs as her second job.
School officials said grief counselors were at the school Thursday. Foster Elementary School Principal, Dr. Francine Lazarus released this statement Thursday afternoon:
“Ms. Williams was a mother figure to so many people on campus. She would look after the younger teachers and make sure they were doing OK, have lunch with a custodian with special needs—she just looked out for so many people and never took any credit for herself.
She would work all day at Foster Elementary and then continue with another shift assisting adults with special needs!
Whenever there was food on campus for a special event or teacher appreciation, she would pretend to make a plate for herself, but then bring it to the custodians and never eat anything herself. She always thought about other people before herself!”