NORFOLK, Va. — Nearly six months after 19-year-old Aaron “AJ” Williams Jr. was shot and killed in Norfolk’s Olde Huntersville neighborhood, his mother says she is still waiting for answers — and for justice.
Serenity Coleman described her son as a warm, dependable young man who cared deeply for others. The day before he was killed, she said, he spent his paycheck on tickets to Kings Dominion for his friend, his fiancée and two younger siblings so they could all go together.
“AJ is like a gift. He is like someone that comes into your life and just instantly cares about you, takes care of you and puts back so much more than you could ever give him,” Coleman said in an interview with News 3's Jay Greene.
Coleman said she last saw AJ on June 18, when she hugged him before heading to work. The next day, detectives came to her home to tell her that her son had been killed in a shooting.
His fiancée was sitting next to him in the car and held him as he died, Coleman said.
Coleman said communication with Norfolk police has been limited. She said investigators have repeatedly told the family they are waiting on phone records, but she has not been shown a police report, has not received new information and has not been told of any arrests.
Despite her grief, she said her family leans on faith and continues to hope for accountability.
“We believe he’s with God, and they can never take that from him,” she said. “But in this world, I am praying that there is justice.”
Coleman is urging anyone with information about the shooting — or anyone who may be hiding the person responsible — to come forward, even anonymously.
“My God, if it was your child, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you?” she said.
AJ’s younger brother, Michael Baker, said he remembers their last trip to Kings Dominion and is struggling to process the loss. He says the person responsible should stop hiding.
“If you murdered someone, you shouldn’t run away. You should accept what you did,” he said.
The family continues to wear pendants and clothing honoring Williams Jr., saying they will keep pushing until someone is held accountable.
