A second suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a former Gwinnett County high school coach during an attempted carjacking as he tried to put air in his tires last month, police announced Tuesday.
On July 10, officers found 29-year-old Bradley Coleman with a gunshot wound at a QuikTrip on Peachtree Parkway near Peachtree Corners Circle. Investigators quickly determined he had fought off a group of three suspects who tried to steal his vehicle but lost his life in the process.
Within 11 days, officers arrested one suspect, 20-year-old David Booker. Now, another suspect — Miles Collins, also 20 — has been charged in connection with the killing and is in custody at the Henry County jail awaiting transport to Gwinnett. Both are charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.
Police have not said if they have identified the third suspect.
Coleman was a Norcross High School graduate who went on to play college football at Southern University and then coach at Peachtree Ridge High School. Friends said he had been living in Louisiana and was in town visiting his daughter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
“On behalf of the Jaguar Nation, I offer sincere condolences to the family, teammates and other loved ones of Bradley Coleman, former Jaguar wide receiver,” Southern University President Dr. Dennis Shields said on social media.
Investigators believe Coleman was targeted by three people who pulled up next to him in a black car as he filled his tires with air. One of the suspects climbed into the driver’s seat of Coleman’s vehicle, and a struggle ensued as Coleman climbed in from the passenger side and tried to stop the suspect, police said at the time.
Around the same time, another driver, unaware of what was going on, lined up behind Coleman’s car to use the air pumps.
The suspects eventually abandoned their effort but shot Coleman as they exited his car. They then collided with the bystander’s car as they drove off in their vehicle.
In the days following Coleman’s death, friends and family held a candlelight vigil at Lillian Webb Park and took to social media to express their grief and support for his family.
A GoFundMe page created to cover Coleman’s final expenses and set up a trust fund for his daughter has raised more than $113,000.
“Bradley had a little girl, and because of these criminals, she’s lost her daddy,” the fundraiser’s creator, Brooke Watson, wrote.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police department at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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