Two months before authorities say Ronald Williams Sr. killed his family and himself inside their West Ninth Avenue home, police were called to a disturbance involving Williams at the local Department for Children and Families office, where his behavior caused enough concern that management asked officers to formally ban him from the property.
Sources told Cowley Post and KSOK there was more to the June 4 encounter. Williams allegedly threatened to leave, get a gun and return to shoot people inside the building. Sources said those remaining inside were placed on lockdown after Williams left.
That alleged threat, however, does not appear in the Winfield Police report documenting the incident.
Police Chief Robbie DeLong confirmed officers responded to the DCF office June 4 for a disturbance involving Williams yelling at staff. At the request of DCF management, Williams was formally trespassed from the office.
“There is nothing in the report on specific threats other than he was being loud and it did cause people inside concern,” DeLong told Cowley Post and KSOK. He said the report also does not mention a lockdown.
Those that knew him said Williams, at 6’6 and weighing over 200 pounds, appeared intimidating.
The incident earlier this summer was among contacts police had with Williams before Tuesday morning, when authorities say the 53-year-old called 911, said he had killed his family and told dispatchers he intended to turn the gun on himself.
DeLong described some of the department’s previous contact with Williams as “fairly recent” and involving erratic behavior.
“I can say we’ve had contact with Mr. Williams. Some erratic behavior,” DeLong said at a press conference Tuesday evening. “I can’t say that anything would’ve indicated that we’d be where we are today.”
Mother, four children killed
Police say Williams shot and killed 44-year-old Kelly George and four children — 9-year-old Carol Williams, 7-year-old Ronald Williams Jr., 5-year-old Sarah Williams and 3-year-old Kelly Magee-Williams — before killing himself Tuesday morning.
Williams was the father of the children.
The first indication of what had happened came just before 9 a.m., when Williams called 911 and told them what he’d done.
Police officers were already nearby on an unrelated call and reached the residence quickly. As officers approached the home, they heard a single gunshot.
Officers backed away and established a perimeter, initially treating the situation as a standoff.
About two hours later, after securing the scene, authorities entered the residence and found all six people dead.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting Winfield Police with the investigation. The shootings closed West Ninth Avenue between Stewart and Mansfield streets for several hours Tuesday as investigators processed the home.
Authorities have not publicly identified a motive.
Concerns about children had been reported
Sources told Cowley Post and KSOK that concerns involving the welfare of the children had been raised with authorities before Tuesday’s killings.
Those concerns included suspected physical abuse after bruising was observed on at least one of the children, sources said. The concerns were reported to authorities as suspected abuse.
Sources also described concerns about educational neglect and instability in the children’s living environment.
The school-age children attended Irving Elementary in Winfield at various times, sources said, but their time there was intermittent. At times, they would be gone for an extended period while attending school out of town before later returning to Irving.
Sources described movement between Winfield and Wichita schools as occurring multiple times. Continue story below ad.
Sources also described previous incidents involving Williams behaving loudly or erratically at or around the school. On some occasions, concerns about his behavior resulted in students being kept inside and normal school routines being altered while Williams was on or near the property.
One time Williams was said to be mad and kicked a cat.
Police responded to some of these encounters involving Williams, sources said.
Cowley Post and KSOK have not independently obtained records documenting each of the incidents described by sources. USD 465 officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Williams was registered sex offender
Williams had a criminal history dating back more than three decades and was a registered sex offender at the time of the shootings.
According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Registered Offender Registry, Ronald Howard Williams Sr. had been registered since November 1998 following a felony conviction for attempted indecent liberties with a child in Wyandotte County.
KBI records show the offense occurred in June 1997 and involved a 15-year-old girl.
Williams was listed as compliant with registration requirements, with his registration scheduled to continue until June 2028.
The registry listed Williams’ current address as 408 W. Ninth Ave. in Winfield — the same residence where Tuesday’s shootings occurred. The address was listed as current as of June 22.
Kansas Department of Corrections records show Williams had additional convictions.
In Franklin County, Williams was convicted in 2006 of aggravated battery for intentionally causing great bodily harm, along with battery and violation of a protective order. Those offenses occurred in 2005.
Corrections records also show a felony theft conviction stemming from a 1993 offense and a separate misdemeanor battery conviction associated with the 1997 Wyandotte County case.
KDOC records indicate Williams was discharged from state supervision in January 2016.
The investigation is ongoing.
