(HELENA) – An East Helena man who pulled a gun on a high school student driving through his neighborhood was sentenced Monday, to five years of probation with 80 hours of community service, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Ryan Christopher Williams, 47, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone.
On May 1, 2025, an East Helena High School student was driving through a neighborhood on his way to class and passed a vehicle headed in the opposite direction. The student said the driver then turned his vehicle around and began following him, tailing him to the school. At an intersection in front of the high school, the driver cut off the student with his vehicle, forcing him to stop.
The man then got out of his vehicle, approached the high-schooler and pulled his gun, pointing it at the student. He chastised the teenager for driving too fast and the student apologized. The man got back in his vehicle and left; the student finished driving to school and reported what happened to school staff.
