Joshua Jamal Williams allegedly shot a woman to death at the Jefferson Gun Outlet, then returned to shoot and kill a store clerk, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Newly released surveillance footage shows two separate portions of the shooting that left three dead, including the shooting suspect.
You can watch the videos here or below. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said Williams went to the Metarie gun shop and indoor shooting range to buy ammo and allegedly turned the Jefferson Gun Outlet into a bloodbath. The gun store is popular with military personnel and off-duty cops. The shooting occurred just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 20, 2021.
Here’s what you need to know:
Surveillance Video Shows a Man Investigators Identified as Josh Williams Opening Fire at the Jefferson Gun Outlet
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office released two brief clips from surveillance footage which they said shows Williams opening fire at the Jefferson gun shop. The 11-second video shows the man walking briskly down a hallway. He stops at a doorway, walks passed it and then returns, firing multiple shots through the doorway. He then continues down the hall and out a door, appearing to shout or scream while walking quickly out of the store.
Williams died when employees exchanged gunfire with him. The two others who were killed were Veronica Billiot, 59, of Belle Chasse and Herbert “Noah” Fischbach, 47, of Jefferson.
The second video shows Williams stepping slightly outside the front door and firing a warning shot in the air. A woman can be seen walking toward the door, and Williams can be scene pointing directly at her. The video freezes when Billiot is shot.
Lopinto said Williams, 32, of New Orleans entered the store with a loaded firearm. An employee told him he was required to unload the gun if he wanted to stay in the store. He was asked to unload the gun multiple times, Lopinto said. Williams then allegedly went toward the exit and fired a shot into the air. Billiot was walking toward the door, and Lopinto said Williams pointed the gun at her and shot her, leaving her dead. Williams then left briefly and returned into the store, targeting Fishbach, who was shot and killed.
Employees exchanged gunfire with Williams in two separate exchanges, both times he was in the store, according to Lopinto. One employee was shot and injured in each incident. They were in stable condition. Williams was gunned down in the parking lot, where he died.
There were a total of eight shooters, which included Williams and seven employees. Lopinto said there were no customers who fired shots.
Williams Was at the Jefferson Gun Outlet With His Brother, Timothy Williams & 2 Young Nephews
Williams and his brother, Timothy Williams were at the Jefferson Gun Outlet the day of the shooting with Joshua Williams’ two nephews, ages 7 and 8. Investigators said Timothy Williams is cooperating in the investigation. He told WDSU his brother “flipped out,” and he wishes he could apologize to the store employees. He said he does not know why his brother opened fire.
Friends of the victims paid tribute online. Fishbach was a married father, who was called a favorite employee of many regulars at the Jefferson Gun Outlet. He recently celebrated his 14th anniversary.
Deanna Theis, a woman identifying herself as a friend of Fischbach, shared a photo of him on Facebook.
“This is Noah Fischbach, one of the employees/victims in yesterday’s mass shooting at Jefferson Gun Outlet where I’ve been shooting,” she wrote. “47, father, husband, just celebrated his 14th wedding anniversary. I helped him with his cat a few years ago. He loved his cat. Anytime I saw him we talked animal rescue and cats. Genuinely good guy. Helpful & knowledgeable in his field. Saw him the end of December. He said I needed another gun and to come back and see him. Then we talked about kittens. Such a loss…my heart breaks for his family.”
Heather Devall wrote on Facebook about her interactions with Fischbach at the store.
“Noah Fischbach was my favorite person in this store,” she wrote. “He made my knowledge of firearms and cartridges much better but constant conversations in our interactions buying what we have from him. He will never know the impact he made on our lives and while we didn’t make it in often anymore. We will definitely miss him.”
Veronica Billiot, a local mom and grandma, went to Jefferson Gun Outlet on Saturday to pick up a gun she ordered for protection, her sister says. She died in a gunfight that broke out while she was there.
‘She was completely innocent,’ her sister says. | t.co/0qLu6Lo4yu
Billiot was a mother and a grandmother. She was at the gun outlet to pick up a gun she purchased for protection, her sister, Linda Billiot, told Nola.com. Their mother was “not in the picture” when they were growing up, so Veronica stepped in as the oldest sister to take care of her younger siblings, Linda Billiot said.
“She was a very giving person — she looked after her two younger sisters, that’s what she did,” Linda Billiot said. “She always made sure we had everything we needed, that she was there to support us for everything.”
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