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'He actually is a victim' | Mother speaks out after charges dropped against her son in deadly 2020 shooting

Theresa Parker said she's spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to clear her son's name.

ATLANTA —

A metro Atlanta man was cleared of murder and aggravated assault charges; now the Fulton District Attorney’s Office brought forth new suspects in a 2020 deadly July Fourth weekend shooting. 

De’Andre Brown is now a free man, and his mother, Theresa Parker, said it has been a long ride to freedom, including tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.  

“As far as attorney – I want to say over $60,000,” Parker said. “As far as phone calls and putting money on his book – I know personally I spent a lot. Taking money from my IRA – a lot of money. In the thousands.” 

That nightmare started when Brown came forward with information about the shooting and became a suspect. He was also shot that night in the leg, Parker said. Atlanta Police arrested him in September of 2020 for charging him with two counts of felony murder and one count of aggravated assault in connection to the shooting. 

“My son is the only one that came forward – I felt like he made the biggest mistake – never go talk to anybody without an attorney that’s what I learned from this whole ordeal,” Parker said and added later, “This whole ordeal has been very stressful, devastating, no sleep."

And for nearly two years, Brown sat behind bars. A new indictment was recently brought against two other men. Jerry Emile is facing felony murder and several other charges. The other suspect, Saeed Reed, faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

“My son got shot, too. He actually is a victim,” Parker said. “Who shot him that night? He’s a victim too. His mother added that this experience had traumatized her and her son."

Now that this chapter of their lives is ending, the two can focus on spending more time together, and Brown can return to his work at a local church.  

“I just want to say, when a police department and a D. A. office are going to arrest someone due to a high profile case, do not rush to judgment,” Parker said. “Take your time to get it right the first time.”

APD released a statement regarding the office's decision on Friday. 

"The Atlanta Police Department has been working closely with the Fulton County District Attorney’s office regarding the July 4th, 2020, shooting death of 20-year-old Joshua Ingram and 32-year-old Erica Robinson. The shooting also injured 13 other individuals.  

Like all investigations, the work did not stop with an arrest. Mr. De’Andre Brown was arrested on September 13, 2020, and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Mr. Jerry Emile was taken into custody in August of 2021 and charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  

As the investigation progressed, additional information came to light, resulting in the charges against Mr. Brown being dropped and the charges against Mr. Emile being upgraded to include murder. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office found that, while there was probable cause to arrest Mr. Brown, the additional information did not support the charges against Mr. Brown. 

This homicide case remains open, and investigators will continue working to hold all involved parties responsible for this senseless act of violence."

About the Auburn Ave. Fourth of July Shooting

Two people, Erica Robinson and Joshua Ingram were killed, and 13 others were injured after a shooting broke out in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn neighborhood. It was in the early hours on July 5, 2020, and fireworks were still firing off in the area to commemorate Independence Day when gunfire rang out. 

Credit: provided, wxia
Erica Michelle Robinson (left), Joshua Ingram (right) Auburn Ave. 2020 shooting victims

Around 3 a.m. Atlanta Police officers were dispatched to the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Boulevard. Police reported that while a large crowd was watching fireworks, a car hit a pedestrian, leading to a fight between several people at the location. Multiple people started shooting, APD said.  

 

 

 

 

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