Donald Cheatham Jr

Donald Cheatham Jr., a 43-year-old White man, was killed in a shooting during the early morning hours of November 20, 2019, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The violent encounter at Fairview Park also resulted in the death of 31-year-old Christopher Gregory and left 28-year-old Sean Dalton Brazil-Gates with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Police were called to the park on Worden Avenue around 12:45 a.m. after a resident heard multiple volleys of gunshots. Officers arrived to find Mr. Cheatham and Gregory deceased at the scene. According to court documents, the shooting followed a pre-arranged confrontation. Gillian Bradley, then 22, and Christopher Gregory had gone to the park to meet with Sean Brazil-Gates and Mr. Cheatham. A brief physical altercation ensued, followed by an exchange of gunfire between the two parties.

Gillian Bradley was still at the park when police arrived. The investigation revealed that she had concealed a rifle and a handgun under bark in the play area before officers secured the scene. Bradley was arrested and subsequently charged with a range of offenses, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence. She was arraigned via video from the Klamath County Jail and, in January 2020, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In December 2020, the case against Bradley was resolved through a plea agreement. The charges of murder, conspiracy, and attempted murder were dismissed. Bradley, then 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence. She was sentenced to five years in prison with credit for time served. At the time of her sentencing, Klamath County District Attorney Eve Costello stated that Christopher Gregory, not Bradley, had shot and killed Mr. Cheatham. Costello added, “Sadly, Mr. Cheatham was a completely innocent party and was caught in the crossfire.”

The investigation continued, and more than a year after the shooting, a grand jury indicted the man who had been wounded. In February 2021, Sean Brazil-Gates, then 30, was arrested by Klamath Falls Police detectives. He was charged with murder, manslaughter, unlawful use of a weapon, felon in possession of a weapon, and perjury for his alleged role in the 2019 incident. As of his arrest, the case was proceeding through the judicial system.