[Music] Hello. You got to go to the bathroom. Yeah, but I don't want to go to the bathroom until you tell me about my son. Tell me if he's alive or not. Well, I'm still waiting for an update from the people. We're waiting for the people to update. What? Who to update? Well, we got people at the hospital, so we're waiting for a little bit from them. A mother, a gun, and a split-second decision that tore family apart. Sitting in this interview room is 45-year-old Laandra Williams. Just hours earlier, police were called to her apartment on Drew Heights place in Ohio after reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found her son, 21-year-old Jiad Hughes, lying unresponsive. Detectives had two crucial questions. Who pulled the trigger? and why? Let's dive in. This case takes us to Reynoldsburg, a suburban community in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area. Known for its strong military ties thanks to its proximity to Rickenbacher Air National Guard Base. Reynoldsburg is a mix of quiet neighborhoods, local charm, and city access. Outdoor lovers enjoy Blacklick Woods Metro Park, a 643 acre nature preserve with trails, picnic spots, and a golf course. The town also boasts a lively food scene with standout local pizza at Vicks and unique global flavors like Nepalese and Himalayan cuisine. However, like many American cities, Columbus and its surrounding areas grapple with public safety issues. The city sees a higher rate of violent crime than most communities in the US. It was this environment and her own late night work schedule that led Lauandra Williams, the focus of this case, to make a critical decision. She bought a firearm for personal protection. In fact, she bought two, one for herself and one for her adult son, Jiad. Concerned about the risks of keeping a gun inside the home, she chose instead to store hers in her vehicle, a decision made for safety, one that would later carry devastating consequences. Lauandra was born in March 1979. She ran her own business, Healing Hands and Hearts LLC, providing in-home health care services, and this is how she paid the bills. She had contracts with the VA in New Lexington, which is nearly an hour's drive each way. To keep her business running, Luanda relied heavily on her car. It wasn't just a means of transportation. It was the backbone of her livelihood. She used it daily to visit patients and drive them to and from medical appointments. So when that car wasn't available, it wasn't just an inconvenience. It was a disruption to her ability to work, earn income, and support her family. On June 24th, 2002, Laandra gave birth to her son, Jiad Hughes, in Youngsttown, Ohio. Raised primarily by Laandra, he spent part of his early life with both parents, though they never married. Eventually, Jiad's father moved on and started a new family. Loved ones described Jiad as quiet but confident, a man of few words, but when he spoke, he spoke with conviction. He was active in his church and was passionate about gospel music. After graduating from Groveport Madison High School in 2021, he set his sights on building a better future. He enlisted in the military in 2022 and had returned home on leave by early 2024. Yet, despite his progress, tension had been brewing at home. In the months leading up to February 2024, the relationship between Jiad and his mother had become strained. What used to be routine disagreements were becoming more frequent, slowly adding pressure to an already fragile household. And then one of those disagreements spiraled into something far more tragic. A text exchange between Luandra and Jiad revealed a brewing conflict. Jiad had borrowed his mother's car and she was not happy about it. Noticing the car was not in the driveway, Luandre texted him asking where it was and why he hadn't brought it back. Jiad replied that he had left it at work and dismissed the conversation, saying he wouldn't deal with it at the moment. Later that day, Laandra returned home to find that the car was still missing, yet Jiad was there. Also inside the apartment were her two daughters and a male friend. She immediately confronted Jiad about the missing car, but things quickly escalated. Voices were raised, tempers flared, and then a loud bang. Panic set in as her daughters frantically called 911. Upon arrival, police found Jiad lying on the ground unresponsive. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition while Luandra was detained. Officers spoke with two key witnesses, Lwandra's daughters, who gave a chilling account of what led up to the shooting. According to them, the argument between their mother and Jiad started inside the apartment, but things quickly escalated. They said their mom appeared to be the aggressor, at one point, grabbing a knife and motioning toward her son. The girls jumped in trying to stop her, but in the end, it was Jiad who managed to take the knife away. That should have been the end of it, but it wasn't. The witnesses informed officers that Laandra became even more enraged and told Jiad, "I'm going to show you something." before storming out of the apartment. They knew she kept a handgun in her car, so they locked the doors and called the police. Meanwhile, Jiad had made up his mind to leave. He packed his bags, and as he headed out the door, Laandra allegedly exited her vehicle, pulled out a gun, and fired from close range, striking her son in the back. Lacoandra was arrested without incident and brought to Columbus police headquarters for questioning. Detectives already had witness accounts painting a troubling picture, but now they wanted to hear it from her. What really happened inside that apartment? Was it a moment of blind rage, a calculated act, or something more complicated? Their goal was clear, to get Laandra to open up and fill in the blanks. This wasn't a question of whether she shot her son, but why. Was it premeditated, reckless, or a legitimate act of self-defense? Hello. Yeah, but I don't want to go to the bathroom until you tell me about my son. Tell me if he's alive or not. Well, I'm still waiting for an update from the people. I'm waiting for the people to update. What? Who to update? Well, we got people at the hospital, so we're waiting for an update from them. Okay. It says the first question says, "Do you speak English?" I would say yes. What's the highest grade you've completed? I have a G. So you read your right, correct? Yes. Do you have any hearing problems? No. Do you wear glasses or contacts? I wear glasses. Okay. Are you able to see this form okay though? Yeah, I can see. Okay. Have you consumed any alcohol in the last 12 to 24 hours? No. Have you consumed any drugs in the last 12 to 24 hours? No. that includes any kind of prescription or anything like that? Oh yeah, I had a um um it's like a hox amoxic clayton or something. It's for like uh when you have as bronchitis and stuff. Okay. I know there was some arguments that went on today that somehow led up to all this. Can you tell me what happened? Um, so I was leaving my I came home early in between my two clients and J used my car and I asked him where he took my car at cuz he took my car to like the shop and left it there and I said, "Well, did you leave how long did you leave it there and what what did they do? My car is not riding away. I just got my car fixed." So he wouldn't answer me. So I walked back to the room and I went back into the living room where he was at and he and he got up to he got up to like grab his stuff and I said, "I'm talking to you. Answer me." And so I threw a glass, but I it went over to his head like a candle, but it went over his head. It didn't touch him. And then he grabbed me up and threw me in the li, which something he never ever ever done. Mhm. And we have had arguments, but he never ever put his hands on me ever. Mhm. And I was trying to get him off of me. I was getting a knife because I know like he's stronger than I am. Way stronger than my I know. And I am like I shouldn't, you know, that's Yeah. A lot. It was tussle in the kitchen. I went outside cuz he carried a gun. He carried one of my other guns. I went outside and got a gun because I didn't want him to hurt me. Mhm. But yeah, I'll take responsibility. That's my child. I don't want that to happen to any of my kids. Well, how things go down outside? He started walking up to me. I ain't know if he had a gun on him or not. You know, like that's the gun that I gave to him. So cuz he where he work at but like I didn't know he kept walking up and that's when I pointed it at. But y'all that's my son. I ain't never Where'd you get the gun from? I bought the gun in New Lexington. I bought two of them in New Lexington cuz I own a I own a home helper and I have a contract with the veterans department. So I used to drive from where we live at to New Lexington at night time. So my my patient took me over there. Took me over there. Okay. Where was it though? Where would Where did you keep the gun that you're going to get the gun at? Where do you keep your gun at? In the armrest of the car. I don't really bring it into the house because we inside the house. I only take it when I need to go like work. If I'm out, it's locked in the armrest. Is that where it was today? But I thought he was going to he never ever had done that to me. You sitting in my house like threw me around squeezing me up like I'm going to kill you and your boyfriend. I don't even know why he was saying that he would kill me and my boyfriend. Like that's not even my boyfriend. That's just somebody that comes over my house. He never say that to me. Did you see a gun on him today? But I No. Did he threaten you with a gun? Did he say he was going to get his gun? I didn't see it at all. I just But did he never mentioned it? Never. You just assumed cuz you gave him one a while back that he had it with him. He carried it with him everywhere he go. He leave it up. He You know that's that's this isn't with this for y'all. But you didn't see it today. He never made mention of it today. I think he was Okay. And then back in the house. Why did you get the knife out? Because it kept he grabbed me up and threw me down. He threw me down on the ground. I kept trying to get him off me. My kids were trying to get him off of him like he wouldn't get off of me. Mhm. So, well, you interviewed your other your other daughters there, too. Yeah, they were there. Okay. And they said that the fight was over. You were upset because of the keys that or the car wasn't working right or something like that. Right. They were in their room when it first started, right? They did say that. You can check our text messages. I had already te you could text his text message. I had already text him about the guarant and he said I'm not going to do this with you. I'm what he say if you be on drama I'm going to leave. I just was asking him like why did you take my car over there and leave it there? Cuz like he repro cars for somebody. Mhm. So he took your car and left it there to get fixed something. No, he took my car over to the place where him and his friend him and the pastor's son they he own a car lot and they was repoing the car early this morning. Mhm. Um, I don't have nothing to hide. I ain't lying. When he came back out of the house, how long were you sitting outside? I don't know, maybe like 4 minutes or something like that. When he came out? Yeah. Cuz I kept trying to tell them to throw my phone out and the keys so I can leave. Mhm. But they like, "No, we're calling the police. We're calling the police." And I knew he was going to leave before the police got there because I was going to press charges on cuz like he never done that to me before. So why wouldn't they let you back in the house if they were calling the police? Cuz I I they knew my gun is outside. Okay. Yeah. Did you tell them you were going out to get it? They already knew I was going outside. Yeah. But did they know you were going to get the gun? No, I didn't say that. But I guess what I'm asking is if if he was the aggressor, why did the girls lock you out and not let you back in? Because they know to separate us. They know to separate. Do you guys fight regular? Yeah. Yeah. Right. Put his hands on me before, but we get into it a lot. A lot. A whole lot. Verbally or physical? It's always verbally. It's never been physical. This is the first physical time. Did you ever hit them when they was like little or or even somebody last year? Um well, not last year, but the year before that. Well, graduations are maybe. Yeah. I was always a very aggressive parent. So, you did not see a gun. He didn't threaten you to get a gun. He didn't mention his gun. You just know he has one cuz you gave him one. Mhm. Did you see it at all today? I wasn't paying no attention. And I just asking him about the car, but he wasn't panning. No, they didn't like that. Okay. So, you didn't see it sitting on the counter or the couch or see it on the couch, but I I didn't even see it. So, if he didn't see the gun, he didn't threaten you with a gun. Why'd you pull the trigger? I mean, what were you thinking at that point? That he was going to keep going at keep coming after me. Keep keep going. Did he have his bags with him like he was leaving? Yeah, he had his back with me. It was like he was leaving. He was laughing. Yeah. So, at that point, it seemed like he was leaving and the fight was over. Mhm. No. Were you just really mad by that point? No, I wasn't mad. I just I thought you have it. I know. He always have it on you. Like I don't know what transpired to be between him saying, "I'm going to kill you and your boyfriend to to make it bigger than it." Like, what did he say to you after you shot him? He said, "Oh my, you shot me." And I said, "Oh my god, you're hot." By this point in the interrogation, detectives had gathered enough information to form a clear suspicion about what led to the shooting. They decided it was time to deliver the news about Jiad's condition. Lauandra's response revealed a woman overwhelmed by years of built-up stress, emotion, and unspoken struggles, a lifetime of silent suffering, and unheard cries. Well, I will tell you, unfortunately, your son did not make it. Oh god. I'm so I'm so sorry. What? They worked on him for at least close to an hour. Take me that he did survive his injuries. Take me. You can take me. I don't deserve it. He didn't either. Yo. Well, I think you need to do his name justice. And I know that that's not true that he was attacking you. Yes, he did hit. Yes, he did. It's okay. It's okay. I want you to tell the truth. I I I only want the truth. I don't want you to say something just cuz it's not true everybody. I don't have to lie. I don't have to lie. I'm not going to say nothing that's not true. Like I had to live with this. You know what I'm saying? But I think you're angry though. I think you're angry cuz we all get angry at times. I mean it's like we both have kids. We know how frustration it is to try to get through. But um I think unfortunately that you probably were angry and the pressure probably got to you. Yeah. But I y'all I'm so sorry y'all. Your 18-year-old said to tell you that she loves you. I'm sorry y'all too. I'm sorry. I'm I was so angry cuz he don't listen to nothing I say. Like you know what I'm saying? Like I be working hard, working, working, working hard. And he don't even he work at a car. He worked at a car. And I said, "Jai, yesterday I said, Ja, if I was to die today, you wouldn't even get the inheritance that you supposed to get cuz I put money with the Navy F." You wouldn't even get it because you're not even doing what you supposed to do. You know, everybody else like I was just so angry with them. But like, y'all, I didn't mean to do that. Like, I'm serious. any No, like my home. I was going to be buying a house. Mhm. It's a lot of pressure. You're doing a business. You're trying to raise kids. Not myself. Like I've been doing it since I came here from Yakan in 2012. And I have no support, y'all. No. I go do stuff with them all the time. Like, yo, I'm so sorry. No. No. I'm I I know the pressures and I feel like that's what happened and I feel like you just snapped cuz you just got so angry and everything. No, y'all. What? Y'all gone for real? No. I killed my son. Oh no. Can you please can you have one of them come here, please? I'm not going to do nothing. Sit back down. Can you please Can you please have one of them come in here? What do you What do you need? If you show it. [Music] Okay, sit down for us. We'll get you moving here. Oh, no way. I just don't want to. If you get back here, we can put you back in custody. I don't want to live no more. Please. Lauandra Williams was arrested and charged with murder and felonious assault. The court set her bond at a million dollars, a clear sign of how seriously prosecutors viewed the case. When we talk about true crime, it's not just about the crime itself. It's about understanding the why behind it. We look at possible stressors like family dynamics and personal struggles. This can help to provide context even if it doesn't excuse what happened. To that end, we discovered two social media posts that give us some insight into the heartbreak and complexity of this case. The first from one of Laandra's daughters states, "I forgive her, and my mom is a great mother. She has always been. She always tried to be so strong. Even those who were close to her heard her, and my mom had no one to talk to. She had no one to take her children when she just needed a break. No one was there. I watched her suffer all my life. I heard her cries, but it took my brother to die for everyone to say how much she was battling. Y'all knew her abuse and her trauma. Nobody will ever understand. Long live my brother. I love you so much. The second notable social media post is from the daughter of a client whom Luandra cared for. She was my father's caretaker. I agree with you, she was not in her right mind. from our interactions. We loved her. My dad loved her. She was always nice. May you somehow find peace, and I'm praying for your mom. These messages and others express sympathy for Luandra Williams and her family while suggesting she may have been struggling with unseen emotional or mental health issues that contributed to the tragedy. Other possible factors include Jiad's growing independence, which may have strained his relationship with his mother, who was used to being the head of the household. As a single mother, Lacoandra may have faced financial and emotional stress that built up over time. And lastly, the decision to keep a firearm for protection ultimately played a fatal role in the conflict. Regardless of the circumstances, the outcome was devastating. In the end, the legal process moved swiftly. Less than 6 months after her arrest, Laandra took a plea deal. Life in prison with the possibility of parole after 18 years. Two lives forever changed. One lost, one behind bars. And a family left to pick up the pieces. [Music]