Dazmon Ray Brown Jr. was an 11-year-old boy from Dallas remembered as a caring older brother and a promising athlete. On April 11, 2021, while staying at a friend’s house, he was riding in the vehicle of that friend’s mother, who was inside a Walmart. The two boys, left without adult supervision, found a gun that belonged to the mother’s boyfriend. The weapon discharged in the car and Dazmon was killed.

His mother, Keyamber Matlock, called the death a preventable accident and said the boys should not have been left alone where a gun was stored. Police reported the 9-year-old accidentally shot Dazmon. The Dallas Police Department said no charges had been filed and the investigation was ongoing; questions remained about whether the friend’s mother knew the gun was in the vehicle and whether any charges such as child endangerment could apply.

A community balloon release and gatherings with shirts bearing his football photos honored Dazmon’s life. If anyone was present that day or has information about where the firearm was stored in the vehicle, please share what is known.