The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have identified two suspects in the 2016 murder of Adrian Potts, brother of Hawks forward DeAndre’ Bembry. The police department issued a statement Friday identifying Ferguson Laurent and Anthony Eugene Gill as suspects in the case. Both are now deceased.
According to police, both were killed in Salisbury, N.C., Laurent on Nov. 3, 2016 and Gill on July 29, 2017.
According to the police statement, “information led detectives in confirming” the identities of the suspects.
Potts was killed in July at a University City apartment. According to his mother, Essence, the 20-year-old was trying to break up a fight when he was shot. According to police at the time, three others were shot and injured in the incident.
The incident occurred days before the Hawks selected Bembry in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft out of St. Joseph’s.
Bembry declined to talk about the development prior to the Hawks game against the 76ers Friday night.
“It’s been a rough two weeks for us, but we are getting through it as a family,” Bembry said during his introductory media conference after he was taken with the No. 21 overall pick. “… We were best friends since Day 1. When my mother was at work, we were either at my grandmother’s house or my cousin’s house. We were always together.
“Definitely, he was a best friend to me. For maybe like three or four years of high school, we were talking about being in this situation. It’s pretty hard being here without him here. It’s rough. Definitely going to miss him.”
Bembry has been injured for much of his second season with the Hawks. He has appeared in just 21 games this season and averaged 4.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.3 minutes.
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