'Ambushed': Sisters guilty in Secoya Williams' killing outside Indianapolis club

Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star
Updated ·3 min read

Update: Arieal Smith was sentenced to 48 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections on Nov. 16, 2023, in connection with the death of Secoya Wiliams, court records show. A sentencing for Ebonie Parks is set for Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.

Nineteen months after her death, Secoya Williams’ family felt a range of emotions as they watched videos of her final moments presented in a trial for two women accused of her shooting.

“We laughed and we cried,” said Williams’ mother Marilyn Johnson. “You could see her in there dancing, buying drinks with her friends and just enjoying the night. Then we see her ambushed. The evidence showed she was attacked.”

Williams turned 25 just two weeks before she died. She was supporting a childhood friend at his musical performance when she was shot and killed outside Club Kalakutah on Indianapolis’ northwest side on Feb. 25, 2022.

Two sisters were arrested in connection with Williams’ death a few days after the shooting. Arieal Smith, 25, was charged with murder, pointing a firearm and carrying a handgun without a license while Ebonie Parks, 29, was charged with assisting a criminal. 

More on Secoya Williams: 'Her light will just keep shining': After fatal shooting, mom honors daughter's life

On Wednesday, Marion Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Marchal returned a verdict of guilty on all four charges the sisters were facing. The verdicts concluded the three-day bench trial for Smith and Parks.

A sentencing hearing for Smith is scheduled for Oct. 20, while Parks’ sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 17.

“I am glad we finally got Secoya justice,” Johnson said of the guilty verdicts. “My daughter did not pick fights with people.  The evidence showed what we knew was true all this time. I felt relief.”

What happened to Secoya Williams

Almost one year later, the sting of the absence of Secoya Williams still lingers for family members. In honor of Williams life, Marilyn Johnson, mother of Williams, created a foundation to help those in need. Williams was shot outside of a night club and later was pronounced dead before arriving at the hospital. James Harney (left), Gloria Johnson, and Marilyn Johnson photographed on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 at their home in Indianapolis.

Williams’ childhood friend told police that Williams was trying to be friendly with everyone at the club on the night she was killed, according to a probable cause affidavit for Smith’s arrest. The friend is identified by only his initials in court records. He told police that Parks, his ex-girlfriend, was upset Williams was there for his performance, which sparked the attack.

As he was about to start his show, he saw Smith take off her shoes as though she were preparing for a fight.  Smith grabbed a drink and threw it at Williams before trying to punch her. Smith was kicked out of the club by security, the man told police in the affidavit.

Williams and the man followed the sisters into the parking lot. Smith rolled down the window of the sisters’ vehicle and the man heard Williams yell that Smith had a gun. Williams was backing up with her hands in the air when Smith opened the passenger door of the vehicle and shot her, the man told police.  

Read the IndyStar investigation here: 49 killed, 154 shot or stabbed: How Indiana law protects bad bars

The Lafayette Square area club where Williams was killed has since closed, but had been a magnet for trouble. Police had responded to reports of gunfire there at least six times before Williams’ death.

An IndyStar investigation published in February revealed Kalakutah was among a relatively few bars, clubs and event centers across the city tied to nearly 50 homicides. The investigation detailed law enforcement’s inability to shut down those bars because only the state Alcohol & Tobacco Commission has the authority to regulate businesses that sell or serve alcohol. The article also detailed how the agency's enforcement efforts had declined dramatically in recent years.

Carrying on Secoya Williams’ legacy

Almost one year later, the sting of the absence of Secoya Williams still lingers for family members. In honor of Williams life, Marilyn Johnson, mother of Williams, created a foundation to help those in need. Gloria Johnson (left), Marilyn Johnson and James Harney photographed on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 at their home in Indianapolis.
Almost one year later, the sting of the absence of Secoya Williams still lingers for family members. In honor of Williams life, Marilyn Johnson, mother of Williams, created a foundation to help those in need. Gloria Johnson (left), Marilyn Johnson and James Harney photographed on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 at their home in Indianapolis.

Despite the powerful grief and stress of the trial, Johnson still plans to honor her daughter’s legacy of helping other people.

Johnson held a fundraising memorial event on her daughter’s 26th birthday in February. She put the money from the event toward causes Williams cared about, such as helping families afford daycare and supporting students at Hardon Educational Institute.

Johnson plans on launching a GoFundMe page soon for a new round of fundraising to support similar causes and remember her daughter.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sisters found guilty of killing Secoya Williams outside Club Kalakutah