Orlando man convicted in deadly 2021 shooting at Orlando Elks Lodge party
Tahj Williams, 26, has been found guilty of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, both involving a firearm.
ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orange County jury has found Tahj Williams, 26, guilty of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, both involving a firearm, for his actions in a 2021 shooting that left one man dead and another injured outside a party in Orlando.
The incident occurred on September 11, 2021, when members of the Orlando-based motorcycle club, the Chosen Few, tried to enter a party hosted by another motorcycle club, the Aftermath Riders, at the Elks Lodge on N. Primrose Avenue. When the Chosen Few members were denied entry and began to leave, Williams indiscriminately fired multiple shots into the crowd at the lodge's entrance. The gunfire killed 49-year-old Rajah Graham and injured another man, who was struck in the ankle.
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Detectives from the Orlando Police Department (OPD) utilized video surveillance from the Elks Lodge and traffic cameras to track down members of the Chosen Few who were present during the shooting. The footage revealed the group's departure from the scene.
Through their investigation, OPD detectives identified the individuals at the Elks Lodge and learned that Williams was responsible for the shooting. Descriptions from independent witnesses corroborated Williams as the shooter. An arrest warrant was issued, and the OPD's Fugitive Investigative Unit apprehended Williams. A search of his apartment yielded the murder weapon, which had been disassembled into two pieces.
After a five-day trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict. The judge has ordered a pre-sentence investigation to determine an appropriate sentence for Williams, who will be sentenced on July 8.