According to reports, a skateboarder who had long wanted to experience New York City was killed after being struck by gunfire during what was meant to be his first visit to the city.
Ethan Williams, a 20 year old student at Indiana University, was in Brooklyn early Saturday morning when the shooting happened outside an Airbnb where he was staying. Reports say it took place around 2:30 a.m. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive.
Police believe he was not the intended target of the gunfire. The case is still under investigation as authorities work to understand what led up to the shooting and who was involved.
Ethan was known as a skate rat through and through. He spent a lot of his time skating streets with his homies back home in Indiana, treating skate sessions as one of the main parts of his daily life. Friends say skating was where he felt most at ease, just rolling through spots, filming clips, and sharing time with the people closest to him.
His family shared that New York had been on his mind since he was young. He grew up watching films and videos that showed the city and often talked about wanting to see it in person. That trip was something he looked forward to for years, especially since he was also doing film related work while visiting.
They described him as someone who cared deeply about people around him. According to his family, he often took time to listen to others and tried to understand what they were going through. They said he had a way of treating people with patience and respect, even in difficult situations.
Those close to him said he carried that same outlook into his studies and creative work as a sophomore at Indiana University, where he was focused on filmmaking. He was often balancing school, skating, and time with friends, moving between campus life and the streets where he felt most at home.
Friends and supporters have come together to help his family during this time. A GoFundMe page has raised more than 25 thousand dollars to help with funeral costs and travel expenses.
What was meant to be a short visit to a city he had dreamed about for years ended in a way no one around him expected. Those who knew him now remember him through his time on the board, the people he cared about, and the moments he shared with the homies while skating the streets.