John Williams and his sister Ava Williams, both of Hudson, are charged with firing a shotgun at Arms Park in Manchester and falsifying evidence. Courtesy photo/Manchester Police Department

MANCHESTER – John Williams, 21, and his sister, Ava Williams, 18, both of Hudson, were recently taken into custody for firing a shotgun at Arms Park in Manchester.

According to Manchester Police, officers responded to a report of shots fired at 12:30 a.m. on July 1. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire from a white car that was racing through the parking lot. Officers later determined that John fired four rounds from the car’s sunroof while Ava was driving. No injuries were reported.

According to court documents, John pressured Ava and other individuals not to provide police with details about his identity, sending a text message stating: “Y’all don’t know me.” In another text message, he told Ava to remove the shotgun shells from the scene saying: “You need to find those.”

Ava reportedly withheld at least one shell from police and provided officers with a different name in an attempt to protect her brother.

However, John was arrested on July 31 and charged with reckless conduct and witness tampering. He was held without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 1.

Under state law, if convicted, John could face up to up to 27 years in prison, up to five years probation and a fine of up to $4,000.

Ava turned herself in on Aug. 1 and is charged with reckless conduct, falsifying evidence and making false reports to law enforcement. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 9 and is being held on a $200 cash bail.

Under state law, if convicted, Ava could face up to 14 years in prison, up to 10 years probation and up to $9,200 in fines.

In August 2022, John, who was living in Hooksett at the time, was charged with second degree assault, simple assault and criminal mischief. He pleaded guilty to criminal mischief and was sentenced to three months in prison, fined $469 and was suspended for one year. However, the assault charges were dismissed.