Brannon Lil B Briggs Jr. was 18 when he was shot and killed in Beaumont, Texas, on the late afternoon of May 7, 2026. The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. at Perlstein Park in the Amelia neighborhood following what police described as a large fight involving about 20 people. Briggs, a student at Pathways Alternative Learning Center who wanted to study engineering at Prairie View A&M University, was taken to a hospital and died of his wounds.

In the immediate aftermath several teenagers were arrested. Charges were filed at different points against Brayren Briscoe, Jean Harrell, Demarion Smith and Darien Harrington; murder charges against Briscoe were dropped as new evidence emerged. Harrell and Smith faced murder allegations and Harrell was held on a $1.2 million bond, but a Jefferson County grand jury later chose not to indict Harrell and Smith on murder counts and both were released. The grand jury did indict Harrington on tampering with evidence for allegedly concealing a rifle near the scene.

Briggs’ family described him as smart, caring and determined; his mother, Tyeisha McKenzie, called him her strong one and said she remains devastated by the grand jury decision. The Beaumont Police Department says the investigation is ongoing. If anyone was at Perlstein Park that afternoon or has information about the fight or the shooting, the department wants to hear from you.