TYLER, Texas — Two months ago, Ashley Williams watched her five-year-old son bleed out on her living room floor after a gunshot tore through his head.
This week, he woke her up every morning.
Josiah “JoJo” Williams is home. And by every measure that matters, he is thriving.
From the Floor to the Front Door
JoJo was shot at a Tyler apartment complex on May 29 in what his family calls a senseless act of violence. The wound was severe. The kind doctors warn families about in quiet hallways.
But JoJo had other plans.
After more than two months of hospitals, feeding tubes, and faith-fueled prayers, the five-year-old walked back through his front door — running, talking, and kissing his sisters and cousins like he never left.
“To see him from where he was bleeding out on my living room floor to now he’s behind me playing on his phone,” his mother Ashley said. “It’s hard not to believe that God is real.”
“He’s a Hugger”
Ashley says JoJo is not just back — he is back times ten.
He has ditched the feeding tube. He recently started classes at Sunshine Pediatrics. On his first day, he ran around shouting “school, school, bus, bus!” with pure excitement.
“He’s running around, talking, wanting to help out, play with his siblings,” Ashley said. “He’s a hugger.”
Justice Still Pending
The joy of JoJo’s return is shadowed by one painful reality — the shooting remains unsolved.
Ashley is pleading with the Tyler community for answers.
“Even though he’s home, we still want justice for him,” she said. “We want everybody responsible to come to justice.”
As the family searches for a new home to begin their next chapter, they are also gearing up for a big milestone — JoJo’s sixth birthday next Saturday.
“Hercules ain’t got nothing on Josiah,” Ashley said. “He survived this.”
Does JoJo’s story move you? Drop a comment below — this family deserves to know their community is behind them.