MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Friends and family gathered in memory of Brandon Webber on Thursday afternoon after the 20-year-old was killed in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday night.
His loved ones are in disbelief that Webber would be capable of violent crimes he was accused of committing in Mississippi earlier this month.
“He had a heart full of gold. His personality was not like a regular person. He was somebody that looked out for everybody,” Tyrone Johnson said.
Multiple people told WREG that Webber was a father of three. Shelby County Schools said he was a 2017 graduate of Central High School, and his principal recalled him as an outstanding art student.
“Emotionally, mentally, he was there always. Physically, he just was the person to pick up the pieces when you broke. So we have no choice but to pick up these pieces,” Quantasia Turner said.
Webber did have a criminal record in Shelby County, but there were no violent offenses.
However, he was wanted by the police department in Hernando, Mississippi for shooting a man and stealing a car.
“We gotta go off action. We know it was wrong , they know it was wrong. There’s too many people starting a movement behind this. What happened last night was to show you that we know. We know who he is,” Turner said.
The crime that Webber is linked to in Hernando contains brutal details. Police say the suspect shot a man five times during a test drive of a car that was for sale. The victim was then left to die in the street.
Webber no longer has the chance to deny these allegations, but people he was close to are defending him as loud as they can.
“We got people out here for him. Just like how he cared about us, we’re going to make this stand. We’re not stopping until something happens,” Turner said. “We’re gonna get justice for Brandon. This movement doesn’t stop here, it doesn’t stop tomorrow, it doesn’t stop next week.”
— By Peter Fleischer