EDITOR’S NOTE: De’Andre Brown’s charges were dropped in December 2022, more than two years after his arrest. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office declined to present the case to a grand jury, citing “insufficient evidence to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt,” court records show.
A 26-year-old faces murder charges in a shootout that killed two people and injured more than a dozen others over the Fourth of July weekend in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood.
De’Andre Brown was arrested Sunday evening after Atlanta police witnessed several people driving recklessly along Sidney Marcus Boulevard, investigators said Tuesday. He’s charged in the July 5 shooting deaths of 32-year-old Erica Robinson and 20-year-old Joshua Ingram, though investigators aren’t sure whether he fired the fatal shots.
Police said a “large group” was gathered at an Auburn Avenue intersection about 1 a.m. to watch fireworks at a party when Brown began doing street racing maneuvers in his blue Chevrolet Camaro.
During the stunts, the car’s driver lost control, striking two parked vehicles and a pedestrian, Atlanta police Lt. Pete Malecki said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
That led to a fight in the intersection, and at some point, the driver pulled out a gun and aimed it at someone else, police said. Several other people drew their guns and began shooting. In all, 15 people were struck.
The gunshot victims were all driven to hospitals in private cars, but Ingram and Robinson later died from their injuries.
“After two months of diligent investigations, homicide detectives gathered enough probable cause to determine that De’Andre Brown was involved in the shooting and warrants were obtained for his arrest,” police said in a news release.
Investigators said Brown was among several drivers stopped for driving recklessly Sunday night. He was arrested at the scene, and officers also recovered a handgun from his car, police said. Brown remains held at the Fulton County Jail without bond, online records show.
“It is not lost on us that the suspect of this shooting was apprehended while engaging in some of the same behaviors that were taking place at the time of the shooting which led to the deaths of Joshua Ingram and Erica Robinson,” police said, referring to the department’s recent efforts to crack down on illegal street racing on Atlanta’s roads and interstates.
Ingram and Robinson were among five people killed in Atlanta in a string of shootings over the July 4 weekend that injured at least 26 others.
Hours earlier, 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed while riding in the backseat of an SUV in a University Avenue parking lot.
Authorities said the rising third grader died when as many as four people opened fire while manning a “makeshift roadblock” near the now-demolished Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed during a struggle with police less than a month earlier.
Investigators are still looking for additional suspects in the Auburn Avenue shooting and have released surveillance footage of several people believed to be involved. Anyone who recognizes them is asked to call Atlanta police. Tipsters can remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
Credit: Atlanta Police Department
Credit: Atlanta Police Department
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