A Texas resident was fatally shot while tending to his lawn, and authorities have now linked the incident to a previous altercation with the alleged shooter. The Beaumont Police Department confirmed the arrest of 54-year-old Larry Fitzgerald Williams on Monday, following an investigation into the murder of 51-year-old Brian Lewis. Lewis was gunned down on Saturday while mowing his lawn, with neighborhood surveillance footage capturing a man fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.
Williams was taken into custody after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. The warrant reportedly outlined a history of violence between Williams and Lewis. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by local Fox affiliate KFDM, Williams had previously been accused of violently assaulting Lewis in an incident that occurred in 2024. Williams, who was charged with aggravated assault, was set to stand trial in July.
The affidavit reportedly revealed that Williams had repeatedly threatened Lewis, insisting that he drop the charges or face fatal consequences. KDFM reported that Williams had been the subject of a segment about the previous assault, in which he allegedly attacked Lewis with brass knuckles, leading to a prolonged stay in the intensive care unit for Lewis. The assault resulted in severe injuries to Lewis’ head and skull. Following the KDFM segment, titled “On the Run,” Williams turned himself into the police.
On the day of the shooting, Beaumont Police responded to reports of a shooting at Lewis’ rental property at 1:44 p.m. Lewis had been operating a riding lawnmower when he was shot and was declared dead at the scene. Approximately a minute later, a motorcyclist was caught on camera by the Beaumont Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center. The description matched that of Williams, leading to the issuance of a warrant for his arrest on Sunday. Williams was subsequently apprehended in Houston.
Authorities believe that Williams allegedly “targeted the victim,” referring to Lewis, due to his cooperation in the ongoing criminal case against Williams.