Man apologizes but says his shots didn’t kill trick-or-treater at Wichita store
A Sedgwick County judge sent a Wichita man to prison for fatally shooting an eighth-grade boy outside a busy convenience store on Halloween two years ago.
Jermall Lynn Campbell Jr., 21, was found guilty by a jury of first-degree felony murder and other charges in the Oct. 31, 2024, death of 13-year-old Donald Williams, who was gunned down in front of the QuikTrip at 4730 E. Central.
District Judge Jeff Goering sentenced Campbell to life with no parole for 25 years on July 9 after turning down a defense request for a new trial when Campbell claimed he wasn’t responsible for Donald’s death.
Security cameras from the QuikTrip recorded Campbell firing eight shots toward Donald that night. Campbell claims he was defending himself and a cousin, Carrice Profit, from an angry, threatening group of teenagers.
But he insists his bullets weren’t the ones that killed the boy. He claims an unidentified person fired a second volley of shots after he got into a car to leave — and one of those fatally struck Donald's neck.
“I can’t really put into words how I felt,” Campbell said at his sentencing hearing last week, apologizing to family for his role in the chaos.
“I didn’t know what was going on. I just walked into a situation that was bad.”
Sedgwick County Assistant District Attorney Shannon Wilson called Campbell’s decision to open fire at a busy gas station on a busy night an “unconscionable” act that deserved the life sentence.
She said Donald was gunned down while trick-or-treating “for no apparent reason” other than he was standing near a group of people who had been arguing with Campbell’s cousin.
Court records say Donald, a sibling and a friend walked to the QuikTrip for drinks after they got thirsty while trick-or-treating in the College Hill neighborhood.
The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m.
“That we don’t have more people that suffered harm is absolutely miraculous,” Wilson said.
Donna Gordon told the judge her grandson’s murder has left an “immeasurable and lasting impact” on her family.
Every gathering is a reminder that Donald will never celebrate life’s milestones, she said in court.
Donald was an eighth grader at Curtis Middle School who liked to play football, fish and ride bikes, according to his obituary.
“He had a kind heart and personality that made him easy to love,” Gordon said.
“There is a hole in our family that will never be filled.”
Defense lawyer David Miller told the judge that Campbell didn’t go to the convenience store that night with a plan to shoot anyone. He was there because his mother asked him to pick up his younger brother.
But he felt like he had to protect Profit from the crowd’s harassment and threats.
“He truly ... believed that he was defending himself,” Miller said.
In addition to the prison term, Goering ordered Campbell to pay $8,019 to Donald’s mother to cover the boy’s funeral costs. He is appealing his convictions and sentence, court records show.
Profit is also charged with first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm in connection with Donald’s death. An affidavit says she called Campbell and told him to “come shoot this b---- up” before he opened fire.
She has pleaded not guilty and said she acted in self-defense. Her trial is scheduled for Aug. 31.
