CLE Panthers youth football mentor Maurice Williams had seven children with his wife.
Maurice Williams, a coach and former security guard at Gold Diggers, passed away on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 37, in a triple shooting.
According to Milwaukee police, the shooting happened around 11:45 p.m. Thursday near Hopkins Street and Hampton Avenue.
Williams, aka “Big Hurk,” was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second victim died after being transported to a local hospital. The third shooting victim is expected to survive.
Neighbors told news media that multiple gunshots sent them scrambling. One person named Felipe Sparks said,
“I heard maybe like 10 or 11 shots back to back,” “A lot of people were running. It was bad.”
Felipe Sparks
Maison Thomas, who coached and played with Williams at CLE, mourned the tragic death of Maurice. They said,
“He had a big smile, big jokes — everything he did was big,” “He was a gentle giant, committed to football, the kids, and the community.”
Maison Thomas
Williams’s family has organized a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help cover funeral expenses. The campaign aims to collect $3,000, and $1,265 has already been collected.
In addition, a vigil for Maurice was held at Gold Diggers Gentleman’s Club.
Maurice Williams And His Wife Welcomed Seven Children
According to Maurice Williams’s official Facebook handle, he married his wife on January 2, 2014. However, his wife has avoided social media, so little about her personal life is known.
Their married life ended after 11 years following the tragic death of Maurice.
Williams and his wife were blessed with seven children. They welcomed their daughter, Maurion Wayne Williams, on May 5, 2017.
Sadly, Maurion passed away on June 27, 2017. But the cause of death has not been mentioned.
Williams has also managed to keep their children’s identities away from social media.
Maurice Williams Is Survived By His Mother, One Step-Sister, And One Step-Brother
Born in 1987, Maurice Williams’s mother, Yvette Wright, is mourning the tragic loss of her son. His father has managed to avoid the media spotlight.
On April 18, 2025, Yvette took to her official Facebook handle to announce the tragic news. She wrote,
Lord I know you don’t make mistakes and I’m not going to ask why but I just thank you the 37 years you gave me with my son And I Truly Appreciate that….Rest Well Son Mama love you and always will….Y’all Pray for my family
Yvette Wright
Recently, Yvette thanked everyone for their love, prayers, and support.
As per Yvette’s Facebook handle, she is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from Westinghouse Area Vocational High School in 1986.
In addition, Maurice had one step-sister, Franchesca Agnew, and one step-brother, Terry Carruthers.
Franchesa lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and studied Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She owns and is the CEO of Let’s Get it Done and a Plant Security Guard at Allied Universal.
On the other hand, Maurice’s step-brother, Terry, lives in Racine, Wisconsin, and works at Fast Pack.
Currently, they are also mourning the tragic death of Maurice Williams.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Yvette Wright’s cousin Gregory Hawkins studied Liberal Arts at Malcolm X and works as a Private Security Guard at Securityy.
- Chef Bryce Harrington organized a candelight event in Missouri to tribute Maurice.
- Maurice attended Hamilton High School and later graduated from FanDuel Sports Network in Cleveland.
