ALLENTOWN — Four months behind on the rent on his family’s apartment here, Daniel Williams texted his landlord on New Year’s Eve to tell him he had the money, and he and his wife would meet him in their backyard to pay him.
But when the landlord showed up to collect it, Williams pulled out a gun, pointed it at his wife and fired, grazing her in the back of the head with a bullet in front of the couple’s young son, according to a police document.
The landlord jumped into action, wrestling with the gunman for 10 minutes, trying to get the gun away from him until he finally succeeded, the document said.
Williams retreated to his apartment. The landlord followed and whisked away the couple’s child, taking the boy and the shooting victim to his house to summon police.
Daniel Williams stands before State Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O’Malley Friday, January 10, 2025, charged with attempted murder in the shooting of his wife in Allentown on New Year’s Eve. The hearing was held at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold.
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The victim herself called 911 shortly before 1 p.m. to report she had been shot in the back of the head by her husband and could neither see nor hear.
The dramatic details were contained in an affidavit of probable cause to charge Williams with the attempted murder of his wife, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose.
The landlord provided police with an account of what happened. The victim, later interviewed at a hospital, and her child both provided accounts consistent with the landlord’s, according to the affidavit.
The boy told police he witnessed his mother and father arguing over bills before hearing a loud noise and seeing his mother bleeding and his father holding a gun, the affidavit said.
Daniel Williams appears before State Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O’Malley Friday, January 10, 2025, charged with attempted murder in the shooting of his wife in Allentown on New Year’s Eve. The hearing was held at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold.
A law enforcement incident report attached to the complaint against Williams said the victim had recently informed him she was ending their relationship.
The shooting set off a shelter-in-place order for the neighborhood while authorities searched for Williams.
Williams was arrested later that night and brought to the Monmouth County Jail in Freehold.
Daniel Williams leaves State Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O’Malley Friday, January 10, 2025, charged with attempted murder in the shooting of his wife in Allentown on New Year’s Eve. The hearing was held at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold.
A hearing to determine if Williams will continue to be held without bail at the jail was scheduled for Friday in Superior Court in Freehold. Williams appeared in court before Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O’Malley. Instead of going forward with the detention hearing, his attorney, Katherine Caola of the Public Defender’s Office, asked the judge to order a competency evaluation of her client.
O’Malley granted the request and scheduled Williams’ next court date for March 4.
Williams will remain in jail in the meantime.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Allentown woman called 911 to say husband shot her in the head: Cops