Man Arrested In Connection With Thanksgiving Mall Shooting
Erron Martez Dequan Brown, 20, was arrested Thursday in connection with the attempted murder of 18-year-old Brian Wilson in the shooting at the Riverchase Galleria Thanksgiving night.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says Brown was arrested in Fairburn, GA Thursday morning by the State Bureau of Investigation, with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to a statement.
Officials believe Brown shot Wilson Thanksgiving night, wounding Wilson and a 12-year-old bystander. Also involved in the shooting was Emantic Bradford Jr. Bradford died Thanksgiving night after he was shot by a police officer working security at the Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover. Initially, officials said Bradford was engaged in a fight with an 18-year-old when he pulled out a gun and shot the teen. But officials later retracted the statement saying it was “highly unlikely” that Bradford fired the shots that injured two people.
ALEA says Brown will be booked into the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham under a $150,000 bond after his extradition from Georgia has been affirmed. Carr says the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s investigation is not complete and remains ongoing with additional witnesses coming forward. The agency says additional charges are expected.
“SBI will continue to work efficiently, thoroughly and impartially to bring all relevant facts to light to provide the DA with the most accurate facts and evidence possible in this case,” says SBI Director John Q. Hamm in the release. “This is not just SBI’s commitment to the people of Hoover and Jefferson County, but SBI’s commitment to the citizens of Alabama in all investigations SBI undertakes.”
The agency says once the investigation is completed the entire file will be turned over to the Tenth Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
The family of Bradford has asked that video of the night be released. But officials says that is not a possibility at this time.
“It is highly likely that prematurely releasing information, including video evidence, would have hampered the investigation’s progress thus far, even to the point of deterring key witnesses,” says ALEA in a press release.
Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr says they plan to share “as much information about the investigation as [they] legally are permitted to do.”
Read the full press release by the Office of the District Attorney here.
Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry
The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.
