Rockford man found guilty of attempted murder in 2023 shooting

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Joe Williams is awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of shooting his ex-girlfriend in the neck in 2023.

Williams was convicted of attempted premeditated murder and aggravated assault with a firearm.

According to investigators, on May 2, 2023, shortly before 10:30 p.m., Williams waited for his ex-girlfriend to go outside to her car in front of her Rockford apartment.

As she got into the driver's seat, Williams fired one shot from the other side of a neighboring vehicle and missed. He fired another shot, hitting her in the neck, and then drove away.

He is said to have sent her a text message almost every day in the months before the incident.

Rockford Police identified Williams as a suspect upon arrival and deployed license plate readers and video cameras throughout Rockford to find evidence that he was in the apartment at the time of the shooting.

Police also found a firearm in Williams' apartment with cartridge cases that matched those in the apartment, as well as a hat with his DNA near the crime scene.

Williams is scheduled to appear in court again on October 25 at 2 p.m.

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