Mother speaks out for first time since Clarksville shooting claimed her 18-year-old son’s life

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A mother has spoken out for the first time since her 18-year-old son was found shot in the head in Clarksville.

Clarksville police charged 20-year-old Za’Kwon Holliday with criminal homicide following the death of Carlos Wills. According to an affidavit, police found Wills lying in a parking lot along Ash Ridge Drive with a gunshot wound to the head on September 9.

Wills’ mom, Kerri Kelley, remembered getting the call while she had been traveling for work. She took the next flight to be with her son.

“One of the witnesses inside the car said that initially when he got shot, he kept saying he didn’t want to die and ‘Call my momma,'” Kelley said. “And for a momma, you want to fix it. That’s what our job is: to fix it. And obviously I can’t fix it, but I can get justice. I’m going to continue to fight for my son,” Kelley said.

Kelley had a brief window to say goodbye to her son before he was placed on life support. Wills lived in Lebanon, but had previously lived in Clarksville. Kelley said he was getting a ride back to a friend’s house at the time of the shooting.

Holliday and Wills were both sitting in the back seat of the car, which had six total passengers when the shooting occurred, according to police. Holliday was reportedly smoking marijuana and inhaling nitrous oxide, also known as “whip its.”

Police documents said that Holliday suddenly pulled out a gun and shot Wills in the head. Two passengers escaped from the car and another passenger tried to wrestle the gun away from Holliday.

Kelley said her son was later left in a parking lot. His shoes and jewelry had reportedly been taken off of him.

“I’ve not received any type of peace or rest since I received that call,” Kelley added. “A call a mother should never receive.”

Police also put out a warrant for 19-year-old Davontay Spencer, who was in the car at the time of the shooting. He has been charged with accessory after the fact, theft of a motor vehicle and driving on a suspended license.

Kelley asks anyone with knowledge of Spencer’s whereabouts to alert Clarksville Police.

“How can somebody be so heartless? How can someone do something so inhumane to a person?” Kelley asked. ”The people that did this to my son, they should not be allowed to roam these streets and commit any type of inhumane act, senseless act to another innocent individual or bystander.”

Kelley said Wills was placed on life support on the one-year anniversary of his baptism. She added that Wills was hardworking and aspired to be a plumber.

“I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to rest until there’s justice for my son,” Kelley said. “I’m going to do what all mothers do and fight for my son because he deserved that.”

As of publication, Holliday is being held on a $500,000 bond.

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