Brandon DeQuan James, a 19-year-old African American male from Tallahassee, Florida, tragically lost his life on February 11, 2022, in Niceville, Florida. Brandon was a talented basketball player and a beloved member of his community. He was in Niceville when he was fatally shot in what authorities described as a drug deal gone wrong. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a strip mall near State Route 20, a location that became the scene of a double homicide that also claimed the life of Bryson Tyrese Mitchem.
The investigation into the deaths of Brandon DeQuan James and Bryson Tyrese Mitchem revealed that four men in their late teens and early twenties were involved in the incident. The Niceville Police Department, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, conducted a thorough investigation. It was determined that the shooting was the result of a botched drug transaction. The chaos of the event saw some of the survivors fleeing the scene, with one victim's body left behind and another found near a home on Palm Avenue.
Three men were indicted on multiple charges related to the shooting. Brenden J. Carson, Kaland Karon Jones, and Isaiah Lamar Luna faced charges of first-degree felony murder, second-degree felony murder with a firearm, and robbery with a weapon. Isaiah Lamar Luna, who was also wounded in the shooting, was treated for his injuries and later charged with obstruction of justice after pleading no contest. The pretrial conference for the accused was scheduled for January 2023, with the trial expected to follow.
The tragic deaths of Brandon DeQuan James and Bryson Tyrese Mitchem shocked the Niceville community, which had not experienced a shooting death within city limits for nearly a decade. The incident highlighted the rare occurrence of violent crime in the area, which is known for its low crime rate. The community mourned the loss of these young lives and awaited justice for the victims and their families.
