Carlton Gardner had a whole life ahead of him. At just 31 years old, the Rochester man became the latest victim of gun violence in a city that’s seen more than its fair share of it. On the evening of May 14, shots rang out in the 900 block of 41st Street NW in northwest Rochester, and when the smoke cleared, Gardner was dead — and the man police believe pulled the trigger was already gone.
It didn’t take long for investigators to get to work. The Rochester Police Department launched what they described as an extensive follow-up investigation almost immediately after Gardner’s body was found. Detectives worked through the night, piecing together leads, canvassing the area, and running down every tip they could get their hands on. The community pitched in too, and law enforcement was quick to acknowledge that public cooperation played a real role in moving things forward.
By the following morning — May 15, just before 10 a.m. — police had their man. Officers tracked the suspect to a location roughly three miles from where Gardner was killed and took him into custody without a single shot fired or a struggle to speak of. Clean, quiet, and fast, all things considered.
That suspect is Derrell Williams, 34, also a Rochester resident. Williams is now facing charges connected to homicide. He’s behind bars, and the case against him is being built piece by piece as investigators continue to review evidence and talk to witnesses. Authorities haven’t spelled out what led up to the shooting or what the relationship between Williams and Gardner may have been — if any — but they’ve made clear the investigation is still very much alive.
Carlton Gardner’s family is now left picking up the pieces. The Rochester Police Department issued its condolences to those closest to him, acknowledging the gut-punch reality that no amount of police work brings a man back. Gardner was 31 years old. He had a name, a face, people who loved him — and now a family navigating grief they never asked for.
For the neighbors on 41st Street NW and the broader northwest Rochester community, the news of an arrest brought some measure of relief. Police were direct in telling the public there is no ongoing threat tied to this incident. No one else is believed to be in danger. The shooting appears to have been a specific, targeted situation rather than something that puts the general public at risk.
The Rochester Police Department says more details will be released as the investigation moves forward. Witnesses are still being interviewed. Evidence is still being reviewed. Carlton Gardner deserved answers in life. Right now, the justice system is at least trying to deliver some in death.
