Coligny shooting victim remembered as talented, smiling, active in church
Dominique Williams had dreams of making it in the music industry, was a hard worker and always wore a smile.
That's what those who knew him are saying about the 17-year-old high school student who was shot and killed Sunday night at Coligny Beach Park.
Williams was an active member of the Central Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Louis Johnson said Monday.
"Dominique was a great, great kid," Johnson said. "He was a young man that I had mentored over the years. He was just well-liked wherever he went."
Just four days ago, Williams was one of many kids at a youth ministry convention. A video on the church's Facebook page shows Williams playing drums in accompaniment to spiritual music.
"This is absolutely a shock," Johnson said. "When I got the phone call last night, it was just hard to fathom that a day and a half later this had happened. We're still trying to put all the pieces together."
Johnson said Williams attended the church for about 14 years with his family.
Now, friends and family are coming to grips with losing a beloved young man who showed so much potential.
Williams had his sights set on the music industry, was active in the church's youth ministry programs and was the church's drummer for the last several years.
"He had a goal in mind. He was very, very interested in music," Johnson said. "He had goals; he had ideas. It's shocking."
Friends said Williams had been attending high school in Savannah, but spent his freshman year at Hilton Head High. In that time, he was a member of the school's JV football team.
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System spokesman Kurt Hetager said Williams was enrolled at Groves High School last school year.
Guillermo Gonzalez, a childhood friend of Williams' who lives on Hilton Head, said he and Williams used to play basketball and ride bikes around the neighborhood. Williams was apparently visiting the island for the summer.
"He was just always energetic," Gonzalez said. "The class comedian. It was sad. It was kind of hard to believe at first."
At Hilton Head High, Williams was a talented running back with plenty of potential, a speedy slasher who coaches thought could be an impact player down the road, according to coach B.J. Payne. More important, he set an example with his work ethic and demeanor.
"He was a good kid," Payne said. "We'd always call him Dom. He always seemed to have a smile on his face. He seemed to be happy. He worked hard, that's the one thing I can say."
Payne said the team, which had a workout Monday morning, was taking the news hard.
"Obviously, a lot of guys knew him, so it was quiet," Payne said. "Everybody knows about the situation. No matter what the cause was, it's a shame that we lost a 17-year-old young man."
Members at the church he called his own for so many years, the people who watched him grow up, were struggling to come to grips with the fact that the always-smiling, all-talented Williams would not be coming back.
"It was shocking. Dominique, you know?" said Irvin Campbell, his voice trailing off.
Campbell, the church's director of Christian education, said Williams had a great sense of humor, was a gifted performer and athlete and always kept himself outfitted with the latest electronic gadgets. The shock of Sunday night's tragedy was still sinking in.
"He's going to be missed now," Campbell said. "That's the thing that hits you last night: All the time that you put in with these kids."
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This story was originally published July 20, 2015 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Coligny shooting victim remembered as talented, smiling, active in church."