BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A jury found three white men guilty of murder and other charges in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery early last year.
Travis McMichael, who fired the shots, was found guilty on all nine counts, including malice murder and four counts of felony murder.
His father, Gregory McMichael, was found not guilty of malice murder but guilty of felony murder and all other charges.
Their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, who recorded video of the killing, was found guilty of three counts felony murder, one count aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony. He was not convicted of malice murder, one count of felony murder and one count of aggravated assault.
Credit: Hunter D. Cone / Savannah Morning News
Credit: Hunter D. Cone / Savannah Morning News
Here are what national and local leaders of faith said about the verdict:
Rev. Al Sharpton: 'Black Lives Do Matter'
"Let the word go forth all over the world that a jury of 11 white people and one Black person in the Deep South stood up in the courtroom and said that Black lives do matter."
Credit: Hunter D. Cone / Savannah Morning News
Credit: Hunter D. Cone / Savannah Morning News
Rev. Da'Henri R. Thurmond, Sr., St. Paul CME in Savannah
"As I think about the verdict and what it means and the reality of all that has happened, I really don't believe this is a day of jubilation as much as it is a reminder that justice is possible. For me, it's not a day of happiness. But, it is a day when some level of hope can be restored for our criminal justice system.
"So, my thoughts continue to be with the Arbery family as we approach Thanksgiving. There will still be a sadness and sorrow and grief they experience that even a verdict won't remove. But, I do think there is a sense of justice and a sense of hope."
Rev. Thurmond N. Tillman, pastor First African Baptist Church
"The news to me is that it's news. Hopefully, prayerfully, everyone learns the lesson that we matter — that we all matter to each other. It lets us know that life is precious. If the evidence, the video evidence, had not been revealed this would all have been swept under the rug. We can all see there are consequences for actions... It's good to know that justice can be served."
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Ahmaud Arbery case: Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton react to guilty verdict in Georgia murder trial
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