Qlera Allen

Qlera Allen, a 29-year-old Black woman from Tallahassee, Florida, was remembered as a devoted mother of three who was very social, bright, and funny. She was a graduate of East Gadsden High School and worked for the Florida Department of Revenue. Her life was cut short in a violent encounter that also claimed the life of her sister.

On the evening of July 23, 2023, officers with the Tallahassee Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at the Mission Hills Apartments on Mission Hills Road in the northwest part of the city. When police arrived at the apartment complex, they discovered two women who had been killed. The victims were soon identified as Qlera and her older sister, Kernishion Charleston, who was 37. Both women had died from gun violence.

Detectives with the Tallahassee Police Department launched a double homicide investigation and quickly identified a suspect, 40-year-old Antirio Brown. Sources indicated that Brown was the ex-boyfriend of one of the sisters. After the women were found, authorities located Brown driving on Interstate 75, leading to a multi-county police chase.

Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol pursued the suspect's vehicle as it entered Alachua County. The chase ended when Brown stopped his car. According to a statement from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, it appeared that Brown took his own life inside the vehicle.

The primary suspect in the deaths of Qlera Allen and Kernishion Charleston is now deceased. As of July 2023, the investigation concluded with the death of the suspect, and the case is considered closed.