A 19-year-old is charged with murder after fatally shooting his brother during an argument at a Duluth apartment complex Sunday afternoon, police said.
Christopher Robert Brooks called 911 around noon stating that he had just shot someone trying to break into his apartment, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Witnesses told police that Brooks and his 26-year-old brother, Joshua Brooks, were arguing prior to the shooting, the report said.
When Duluth officers arrived at the Northwood Lake Court complex around 12:30 p.m., witnesses came outside and told them the shooting had occurred in an apartment on the basement level, the report said. Inside, Christopher Brooks was found kneeling over his brother with his hands on his abdomen, the report said.
Police asked Christopher Brooks where the gun was located, but learned that he had tossed it after dispatch had asked him to do so, the report said. It was found on the ground a few feet away, according to the report. Brooks obeyed the officers’ orders when asked to walk toward them with his hands up as one officer began rendering aid to his brother.
Medics soon took Joshua Brooks to Northside Hospital in Lawrenceville. Police did not specify where he died.
“(Joshua) was my heartbeat, my twin, my cooking buddy, and my friend. Words cannot express the loss and void in my heart. His beautiful smile was contagious and lit up the room,” his father, Robert Brooks, wrote in a GoFundMe created to cover funeral expenses.
While briefly questioned by police at the scene, Christopher said Joshua had a weapon and that was why he shot him, the report said. No weapons were found on or near Joshua Brooks, according to the report.
Although Christopher Brooks told the 911 operator that he had shot someone breaking into his apartment, several witnesses told police there was a verbal argument prior to the shooting, the report said. Witnesses did not see the fight but recalled hearing threats, the report said.
One witness recorded audio, in which Christopher Brooks could be heard yelling, “I’ll blast you, you tweaking!” and Joshua responded with “Do it” or “Shoot it,” the report said. It was after this interaction that the shooting took place, according to the report.
Joshua Brooks is survived by his three daughters, sister, brother and father. Funeral arrangements will be posted soon, according to the GoFundMe page.
Christopher Brooks was charged with murder and is being held at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond, online records show.
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