Photos for Headline Surfer /William Phillips, 33, of Palm Coast, remains incarcerated without bail at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach, Florida, and will be sentenced Aug. 11, 2025, for the near killings of two Bethune-Cookman University students.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A Palm Coast man faces life behind bars at sentencing next month for shooting two Bethune-Cookman University students in 2023, one of whom was left paralyzed from the waist down.
After a two-day trial, a jury found William Phillips, 33, guilty of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and possession of a firearm by a convicted in-state felon.
Here is a synopsis of what led to gunfire: In the early morning hours of March 18, 2023, several physical altercations happened at a Daytona Beach bar. Once they ended, a group of four B-CU students drove back to campus. Phillips and his group also ended up there.
The defendant then confronted the students and shot up their vehicle.
Two of the passengers, 21-year-old Mhari Allen and 24-year-old Aniecia Blake, were struck by bullets. Aniecia Blake recovered from her injuries at Halifax Health Hospital in Daytona Beach, but Mhari Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Two of the passengers, 21-year-old Mhari Allen and 24-year-old Aniecia Blake, were struck by bullets. Aniecia Blake recovered from her injuries at Halifax Health Hospital in Daytona Beach, but Mhari Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down.
An eyewitness identified Phillips as the shooter, and Daytona Beach cops, who investigated the near-fatal shooting incident, later arrested him after securing warrants.
“Gun violence robbed one victim of their ability to walk, and our other victim mercifully has fully recovered,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said after the guilty verdicts.
“The defendant should spend the rest of his life behind bars,” Larizza added.
Assistant State Attorney Kevin Sullivan successfully prosecuted the case for the state. Phillips was represented at trial by private defense attorney Jaya Balani.
Circuit Judge Kathryn Weston, who presided over the trial, is scheduled to pronounce the sentence on Aug. 8. Phillips, who has an extensive criminal record, faces up to life in prison for the felony crimes.
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