Five Arrested in Shooting Death of Security Guard

Richard Williamson, known as "Big Will," was described as a hero for protecting people at a New Year's Eve all-night skating party

Five people, including four teenagers, have been arrested in connection with the New Year's Eve event shooting death of a security guard described as a hero for his actions during a violent night at a Southern California roller rink.

Maurice Lamont Martin Jr., 17, Ezekiel Isaiah George, 18, Laquan Trice, 15, Prince Topaz Johnson, 20, and Adrian Gentry, 17, were arrested in the shooting death of Richard Williamson, 48, outside the CalSkate roller rink in Grand Terrace.

The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in San Bernardino Superior Court.

All five face charges of murder, attempted murder and one count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's office. Trice, Gentry and Martin were charged as adults, the office said Tuesday.

About 400 people were at the New Year's Eve celebration, an all-night skate party, when gunfire broke out. Williamson, owner of a private security company, suffered gunshot wounds and died at a hospital.

Witnesses described him as a hero who protected children and families at the event. Two others were wounded in the attack, which occurred at 2 a.m. on New Year's Day.

"I'm glad that it came to some kind of clues," friend Donto James said. "Big Will was really a good guy. He always would do anything for anybody."

Williamson's niece was inside the roller rink during the party. Her uncle told people to get inside the building when the violence broke out, she said. He went outside to check the parking lot and was struck by gunfire, she said.

His daughter called Williamson a "big guy" with "a big heart."

"It's a catch-22 if you will," roller rink patron Miron James said. "We lost Big Will, and at the same time other families, they lost members of their family, because now (the suspects could) go to jail for life. It's a lose-lose situation on both sides."

Details regarding the events that led to the arrests were not immediately available.

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