[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     A TRIBUTE TO BRANDON WILLIAMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. (Mr. Strickland). Under previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Lewis, is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a few minutes of 
this Special Order to speak about a tragic incident that took place in 
my district a week ago Tuesday. A young man named Brandon Williams was 
fatally wounded in a shooting that followed a high school basketball 
game. He was 17 years old.
  He was the son of Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Sharon Williams. His paternal 
grandfather is a retired professor, who taught at Morehouse College for 
nearly 40 years. He had a brother and sister, Keven Williams and Jaron 
Williams-Gilstrap. Brandon's family is one of the most respected 
families in Atlanta. His father is a physician and his mother is a 
nurse.
  Brandon loved sports. He began playing baseball at the age of 4. He 
spent every summer on the baseball field. As a student, he earned three 
varsity letters in baseball and football at Riverwood High School. He 
also enjoyed tennis and golf. He began swimming and diving at the age 
of 2. He was a certified lifeguard for the Atlanta Department of Parks 
and Recreation.
  Brandon Williams was a very kind and loving individual. He always had 
a very beautiful smile. He was to graduate from Riverwood High School 
this spring and attend Morehouse College on a full scholarship.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you that I was deeply saddened and 
emotionally shaken by the death of young Brandon Williams. He was one 
of the nicest young people you would ever want to meet. I have known 
his family and grandparents for more than 30 years. He was a close 
friend of my 17-year-old son. They attended the seventh, eighth, and 
ninth grades together. On many occasions, my wife would drop Brandon, 
my son and his first cousin off at movies, or to get a pizza. On one 
occasion he traveled to Florida with my son and wife and several young 
people. I knew him well.
  This young man will be deeply missed by his family, by all of his 
friends and all of his schoolmates. The people of Atlanta and the Fifth 
Congressional District of Georgia have lost a distinguished young 
citizen. Finally, Mr. Speaker, we can only do so much as elected 
officials. There are some things that have to be done as citizens and 
elected officials. We have to start looking out for all young people.
  As I have said in the past, the violence and the killing must stop. 
There must be a revolution of values, a revolution in the spirit and 
hearts of our people.

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