Georgia
Erron Martez Dequan Brown has been accused of being the real gunman responsible for an Alabama mall shooting on Thanksgiving evening that led to a chaotic chain of events in which police mistakenly shot and killed another black man they thought was the shooter.
Authorities arrested 20-year-old Brown of Bessemer, Alabama at a relative’s home in South Fulton, Georgia, CNN reports. Brown was charged as a fugitive from justice and is being held in the South Fulton Police Department, according to his booking record.
Brown is accused of shooting 18-year-old Brian Xavier Wilson of Birmingham. Wilson succumbed injuries from the shooting but is expected to make a full recovery.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Brown Was Charged With One Count of Attempted Murder After Being Found Hiding Out in a Relative’s Home
This is Erron Brown – he was taken into custody Thursday by US Marshals in Georgia in the Galleria shooting.
Brown faces one charge of attempted murder in the shooting of Brian Wilson, who was the friend of Emantic Bradford. Bradford was a 21-year-old man who was shot and killed by police in the wake of the shooting.
Brown was found after authorities received a tip about his whereabouts, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The family who housed him claimed to know nothing about the warrant for his arrest.
Brown’s bond is set at $125,000.
Two people were injured during the shooting: 18-year-old Wilson and a 12-year-old girl whose name has not been identified. Rashad Billingsley is an 18-year-old army national guard soldier who applied pressure to the wound of the 12-year-old girl who was shot.
To ABC, he said, “I had told a police officer to go grab me a jacket so I could apply pressure to the wound. Because it was on her back, I couldn’t apply a tourniquet which stops the blood flow from going to the actual wound. So the only thing I could do was put pressure into the wound to stop the bleeding.”
The girl is expected to make a full recovery, as is Wilson.
2. Brown Was Previously Arrested on a Charge of Using a Gun to Rob a Man
This is the scene in Georgia where Erron Brown was captured which was shared with t.co/IpE6ZrZMd2 by @FOX5Atlanta which is on top of the Georgia scene:
Court records show that Brown was previously arrested in June 2017 on a charge of using a gun to rob a man. However, the case was dismissed after three months because prosecutors didn’t want to pursue the case.
Demonstrators have since gathered on multiple events to pressure authorities to release evidence and any video of the shooting. Derrick Murphy, the only black councilman in the city, said the city was working to answer any questions, particularly from the families of the man who lost his life.
Murphy said, “They have our love; they have our prayers.”
However, a statement from the state agency running the investigation ran counter to Murphy’s assertion, instead arguing that releasing any evidence from the incident might hurt the investigation. As of Dec. 3, no video or additional evidence has been released.
3. The Mall Shooting Made National Headlines After Bradford Was Erroneously Identified as the Shooter
Family of black man killed by cop in Alabama mall shooting hires civil rights attorney t.co/Zbvtg2YT6p
Just before 10 PM on Thanksgiving evening, shots were fired in the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Alabama. Two Hoover Police Department officers were on holiday security detail at the mall. Though Brown escaped without capture, one of the officers shot dead the man they suspected was responsible for the shooting: Emantic Bradford Jr.
Brown will not be charged for the death of Bradford.
Following the shooting, the wrongful death of Emantic Bradford brought the story into national media coverage, with many wondering why Bradford was shot by the authorities. The narrative around Bradford’s death was altered multiple times by authorities, who first claimed he was “brandishing” a weapon then later said he was only holding a gun at the scene.
On Nov. 26, after a series of amoebic statements about what happened during the shooting, the Hoover Police Department released a statement which read in part, “Earlier, we stated that Mr. Bradford ‘brandished’ a gun. To clarify, the word “brandish” was used because Mr. Bradford had a gun in his hand as police officers responded to the active shooter situation between mall patrons.”
Bradford was reported to be an active duty U.S. Army soldier who was home for Thanksgiving at the time of the shooting. AL.com later clarified that Bradford had not completed basic training and was honorably discharged.
4. Though Brown Will Likely Face More Charges, None of Them Will Pertain to the Death of Emantic Bradford Jr.
Fairburn home where Alabama mall shooting suspect was arrested by Marshals this morning, previous AL mugshot of suspect Erron Brown . No one talking in home @wsbtv
Brown is currently being held on one count of attempted murder, but authorities say he is likely to receive additional charges in the coming days. However, none of those charges will pertain to the death of Bradford.
As for the Bradford family, over 1,000 people showed up to attend Bradford’s funeral services on Dec. 1, per local news channel WBRC. Bradford’s father, Emantic Bradford Sr., gave an emotional speech about how he missed his son, saying, “I hear him telling me right now, ‘Daddy it’s going to be alright. We’re going to be alright.'”
Others called for continued activism in the city’s efforts to demand transparency in the investigation. Birmingham activist Carlos Chaverst said at one point, “Even when the cameras are gone, we’re going to fight when this matter becomes less trendy. We’re going to fight with every single thing in us. We heard your cries.”
5. Birmingham Attorney Charles Salvagio Will Represent Brown, Per an Early Report
Birmingham attorney Charles Salvagio will be representing Brown throughout his arraignment and trial, according to an early report by local news channel WVTM. Salvagio has not yet made a statement on behalf of his client.
Brown has since waived his extradition, which means that the state of Alabama will have to claim him in 15 days, otherwise Fulton County Jail will release him. If released, he will have an open warrant on his name. This does not affect his charges or the circumstances around his upcoming trial.
Bradford’s Family has hired a prominent civil rights lawyer, Benjamin Crump. Crump has also represented the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown in recent years.
Via Crump, the Bradford family released the following statement: “Our family is completely shocked, heartbroken and devastated at the tragic death of our beloved ‘E.J.’ E.J. was a devoted son and brother who dedicated his life to serving his country and always doing the right thing. As we continue to grieve, rest assured that we our working with our legal team to determine exactly what happened and why this police officer killed our son. We will never forget E.J. and ask for your continued prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”