Brian Brown

Brian Brown, a 17-year-old Black teenager from Powder Springs, Georgia, was shot and killed on May 31, 2023. His death was part of a troubling trend of gun violence involving young people in the metro Atlanta area that week.

On that Wednesday evening, deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call around 6 p.m. about a person struck by gunfire in the Bill Arp community. Arriving at the scene, they found Brian suffering from a gunshot wound. He was immediately transported to a hospital for treatment but died from his injuries.

Following the shooting, authorities launched a manhunt for those they believed were responsible. The search yielded swift results, and by the morning of Thursday, June 1, the sheriff's office announced that it had located and arrested four people in connection with Brian’s death.

The four suspects were identified as Zayden Cooper, 17, of Douglasville; Angel Menchaca Hernandez, 21, of Villa Rica; and Giovanni Omedeo and Douglas Omedeo, both 20 and also from Villa Rica. All four individuals were charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. As of June 2023, the case against the four accused men was proceeding through the court system.