Beaumont police revealed late Thursday night the arrest of a teenage suspect in a homicide at Perlstein Park in the Amelia neighborhood that stemmed from a planned fight involving BISD students that escalated into violence.
Sgt. Haley Morrow identifies the suspect in custody and charged with murder as Jean Harrell, 18. Morrow says charges were dropped against a second teen who had been taken into custody and was later released when detectives uncovered additional evidence.
"Complex investigations are fluid, and as Detectives continue interviewing witnesses, reviewing evidence, and analyzing information, new developments can both identify suspects and clear individuals previously believed to be involved," said Sgt. Morrow. "Beaumont Police remain committed to conducting thorough investigations and following the facts as evidence develops."
The victim is Brannon Briggs, also 18.
A check of the West Brook Bruins football roster lists a Jean Harrell on the team as a senior wide receiver.
Morrow says the shooting wasn't a random act of violence and investigators are searching for other suspects.
The call came in at about 3:40 this afternoon reporting a large group fighting and shots fired at Perlstein Park in the 8900 block of Landis, in the Amelia neighborhood near Major Drive and College.
When officers arrived they found 18-year-old Brannon Briggs on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound.
District Chief Scott Wheat with Beaumont Fire & Rescue tells KFDM paramedics treated the teen for a gunshot wound and transported him to a hospital as a trauma alert patient where he died.
"We're not sure what the motive is or what the reasoning was for gathering and fighting, but for it to escalate into somebody losing their life, it's just completely avoidable," said Sgt.Morrow.
Sgt. Morrow says cameras from the Real-Time Crime Center at the park captured evidence related to the shooting and nearby license plate readers helped identify a suspect vehicle.
That information led officers to a residence where Harrell was taken into custody less than two hours after the homicide.
A KFDM photojournalist was on Shanahan Street, about 2 1/2 miles north of the park. We saw police lining the street and a wrecker towing a white Chevrolet Malibu from in front of a house.
Sgt. Morrow told KFDM the location on Shanahan is linked to the shooting.
Morrow says additional evidence indicates more suspects were involved. Detectives are continuing to interview multiple individuals and the investigation remains ongoing.
A witness who lives across the street from the park told KFDM's Tre Sanchez he saw a large group fighting and then heard gunshots. He went inside his home so he wouldn't be struck.
"I go inside after I heard the shots," the eyewitness told Tre. "Yeah, sir. I'm not going to stay there. I'm going to be shot this way and kill me."
The man told Tre he's lived in the neighborhood for 30 years and he's never seen anything like what unfolded today.
Families and police are now left to deal with yet another young casualty of gun violence.
"We need to have conversations with our kids," said Sgt. Morrow. "We need to put down guns and do the right thing. We have to start at home and we need the community and parents to partner with us. This is not something that law enforcement can do alone."
Sgt. Morrow later expanded on her thoughts in a Facebook post:
Far too many young lives are being forever changed by violence, anger, and split-second decisions. We have to do better for our kids. Parents, mentors, coaches, teachers, community leaders it takes all of us paying attention, getting involved, and speaking up before conflicts escalate. Fighting should never end in gunfire. A disagreement should never end with a family planning a funeral.
Please continue to pray for everyone impacted by this tragedy and help us work toward ending the cycle of youth violence in our community
Mayor Roy West released a video statement about the shooting:
"My heart grieves for the family and for the friends and for this community," said Mayor West, "and I know many of y'all, there's many people grieving. There's great concern about the gun violence, and I just want to assure people that we know this is unacceptable, and as a community we are going to continue to gather together to find ways to make improvements."
There is a Mayor's Coalition Against Gun Violence, the second meeting of the organization
Police are asking anyone with information to contact BPD at (409) 832-1234 or Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers at (409) 833-TIPS.
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