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Five Arrested In Murder Of Security Guard Who Protected Crowd At NYE Roller Skating Party
Five men have been arrested in the death of a security guard who died trying to protect the crowd during a shootout at a roller rink in San Bernardino County on New Year's Eve.Richard Williamson, 48, of Riverside known to friends as "Big Will" was pronounced dead shortly after being shot at Cal Skate in Grand Terrace around 2 a.m. on Jan. 1. Two others were injured in the shooting. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says in a release that five men—three of them minors—have been arrested and are being charged with murder and attempted murder. All of them are being tried as adults, and they were scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon.
The suspects are Topaz Prince Crummie, 20, of San Jacinto; Adrian Gentry, 17, of Adelanto and three men from Perris: Laquan Trice, 15; Maurice Lamont Martin, 17, and 18-year-old Ezekiel Isaiah George.
Williamson was on duty during an all-night New Year's Eve party with about 200 guests when gunfire broke out. Witnesses say that Williamson pulled out his gun and fired back at the gunmen who were firing toward the crowd, according to NBC Los Angeles. One of the other wounded was another security guard at Cal Skate.
Michael Marcoly, a big rig driver in the parking lot when the gunfire erupted, said Williamson's actions likely saved lives: "He saved a bunch of kids and families, no doubt in my mind."
Williamson was the founder and owner of BW Security Services in Riverside. A fund has been set up for memorial expenses by his heartbroken wife and kids who write that he was "a kind person with a big heart."
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