Case against last Stockton mass shooting murder suspect bound over to Grand Jury

BAY MINETTE, Ala. (WALA) - New information coming out in court Tuesday, July 18, 2024 about the mass shooting in Stockton, back in May where nearly 20 people were shot, three losing their lives. The third murder suspect appeared in a Baldwin County court Tuesday. Robert Brown. Jr. is accused of shooting and killing two people and wounding a third.

Brown was the first suspect arrested in the case and was initially charged with assault. He quickly bonded out and was then picked up by Mobile County for a probation violation. He’s been in Mobile County Metro Jail until Tuesday’s bond hearing.

Thursday’s proceedings were a combination of Ania’s Law bond hearing and a preliminary hearing. Assistant DA, Patrick Doggett called three Sheriff’s investigators to the stand who described eye-witness accounts of the shootings. Those witnesses told investigators Brown, and co-defendant, Mack Adams approached another group, including Michael Anderson, Jr. They said Brown pulled a gun first and shot at Anderson.

After his arrest several days later, police said Brown admitted to taking a gun with him to the party, an AR-15 with the stock removed. Investigators then testified that the only shell casings recovered at the scene were .40, .45 and .9mm rounds, not consistent with an AR-15 and something defense attorney, Chase Dearman brought into question.

“All the forensic evidence, there is no 5.56 millimeter, or .223 cartridges found which falls in line with what Robert Brown, Jr. told investigators,” Dearman said. “In addition to that, every single one of those witnesses are part of the Sawmill Murder Gang. They’re all in a gang together. Every single one of them, so all the witness testimony that they were describing in court came, literally from a gang.”

“I believe there was some conflict between these groups,” acknowledged Assistant District Attorney, Patrick Doggett. “There’s no question about that, but that was the motive behind the shootings so his defense about it’s this other group is also…leads to the motive of him being involved in the shooting.”

The conflict between the two groups comes from a run-in the week before where investigators said there was a physical altercation between Robert Brown and Michael Anderson. Jr., at which time Anderson struck Brown with a bottle, cutting him above the eye. Prosecutors said Brown spoke with several people at the May Day event before the shootings, saying he intended to get retribution against Anderson, even showing his gun to some witnesses.

While prosecutors contend it was Brown who shot first, the defense said it was someone in Anderson’s group who fired the first shot. Dearman said Brown tried to fire back but his gun malfunctioned he was also shot.

“He also told investigators and I believe forensics are going to back it up, that somebody in a wheelchair had a forty-caliber weapon and if you noticed, both victims that are deceased, the bullet fragments were forty caliber,” said Dearman.

“That part is still under investigation at this point but there’s…with regards to the cases pending in court right now, the information that has been corroborated up to this point, point to Robert Brown, Jr. and Mac Adams as being the individuals responsible for those deaths,” Doggett said in response to Dearman’s suggestion that someone in a wheelchair may have been involved.

Dearman contends Brown did not shoot Michael Anderson, Jr. or Chiquita Ewing and said if it goes to trial, he anticipates calling at least a dozen witnesses. Meanwhile, Doggett said it’s still an ongoing investigation and there’s still a lot of evidence that needs to be processed before the Grand Jury reviews it.

Cases against all three murder suspects have now been bound over to the Grand Jury and all three are being held without bond until trial. Robert Brown was taken back to Mobile County Metro Jail while co-defendant, Mack Adams is in the Baldwin County Jail. Tyquan French, who is accused of killing Christian Bradley awaits trial at a facility outside Baldwin County.

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