Friends of Javon Britten, who was shot and killed at Orland Square mall Jan. 21, 2019, detailed in court Wednesday a shopping trip they say turned deadly after Jakharr Williams approached them.
Charles Williams, Britten’s cousin, testified he picked up Britten and his friend, Armani Griffin, to go to the mall so Britten could buy work clothes. The three went to the Apple Store, where they charged phones and posted on social media, before heading to H&M to buy clothes, he said.
After using the restroom near Orland Square’s food court, Britten, Williams and Griffin ran into Jakharr Williams, who they knew from Rich Central, both Charles Williams and Griffin testified. Jakharr Williams was 20 at the time, while Britten was 18.
Charles Williams said Jakharr Williams greeted the group, saying “what’s up,” before the interaction grew heated. But both he and Griffin said they couldn’t remembered what was said as Charles Williams worked to pull Britten away from Jakharr Williams.
By the time he heard shots fired, Charles Williams said Britten, who was like a brother to him, was standing fewer than 6 feet from Jakharr Williams.
“It happened so fast,” Williams said Wednesday.
Jakharr Williams, of University Park, is charged with murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery. He is claining at trial he acted in self defense.
Prosecutors showed surveillance footage that confirmed the men’s locations as they moved through the mall, with Jakharr Williams following them as they left the food court.
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“I thought they were going to fight each other,” Charles Williams said, saying he didn’t imagine Jakharr would pull out a gun until he saw a silver object in his sweatshirt pocket.
“He shot my brother,” Williams said, growing emotional before taking a break from testifying. Jakharr Williams fired six times, prosecutors said, hitting Britten and grazing a bystander, Jonathan Reynolds, who testified Tuesday.
Reynolds told police Britten’s group of friends commented on his jacket while they were in the restroom together. He also confirmed he heard the group arguing among themselves as they walked away from the food court.
Reynolds said as he and his girlfriend walked toward the Apple Store on the mall’s lower level, they heard gunfire erupt and started running.
Video footage of the mall’s hallway showed Reynolds jump as the two ran toward the store, before they took refuge inside and exited Orland Square through a back door. Prosecutors said the shooting caused many other shoppers to hide in the rear of stores for safety with store gates closed.
The trial was expected to continue Thursday at the Cook County Courthouse in Bridgeview.