Johnny Madison Williams Jr.

Who is Johnny Madison Williams Jr.?

Johnny Madison "The Shootist" Williams Jr. is one of the most successful bank robbers in American history. After his arrest on July 9, 1994, Williams confessed to robbing 56 banks across the states of California, Texas, and Washington over an eight-year period, often with the help of his wife, Carolyn. Williams kept a meticulous record of his heists, reporting his career total as $879,357. By the time of his apprehension the FBI were not even aware of 8 of his robberies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in the course of tracking Williams, had nicknamed him "The Shootist" after the film by the same name starring John Wayne because of his habit of firing shots into the air at the beginning of each robbery.

Performance art was a large part of Williams' method. His method of firing into the air caused people to avoid eye contact, so authorities had a hard time getting a description of Williams' appearance. The gunshots, in addition to cursing and yelling, provoked a sense of terror, ensuring the teller and customers' compliance.

Williams put a great amount of forethought into each robbery.