Waltham Woman Charged After Altercation With Weekend Shooting Victim

WALTHAM, MA — One person is charged with assault and battery in Waltham stemming from an altercation that happened prior to a fatal shooting near a Second Avenue apartment complex, officials said. However, no specific charges have been filed in regards to who pulled the trigger.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Waltham Chief of Police Kevin O’Connell confirmed that Melanie Williams, 30, of Waltham has been charged with assault and battery on a household or family member in connection with physically assaulting her partner over the weekend.

Police responded to a parking lot adjacent to an apartment building on Second Avenue where they found a woman, later identified as Zharia Wilcox-Ellis, 24, of Waltham, with an apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

The preliminary investigation indicates that, just prior to the shooting, there was an altercation involving a group of people outside the apartment building where Williams resides and Wilcox-Ellis was known to visit.

Video surveillance of the incident allegedly shows Williams striking Wilcox-Ellis, police said.

The investigation into the shooting, however, remains active, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Waltham Police Department at 781-314-3550.