In the early morning hours of January 15, 2022, a vibrant Saturday night at the Bamboo Lounge on Glynn Avenue in Brunswick, Georgia, turned into a scene of chaos and violence. Brandon Capers, a 32-year-old male, was at the club with his brother when a verbal dispute erupted. The argument quickly escalated, leading to a hail of gunfire inside the crowded establishment.
When the shooting stopped, six people were wounded, including Capers who succumbed to his injuries.
The Brunswick Police Department launched an immediate investigation into the deadly shootout. Their efforts soon identified two local men, Antonio Duncan, 27, and Darren Cowart Jr., 26, as the primary suspects. Warrants were issued for their arrests, with Duncan sought on charges of murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Cowart was wanted for being a party to the crime of murder. The investigation suggested that Duncan and Cowart had been shooting at each other inside the lounge, caught in a crossfire that injured five bystanders and claimed Capers' life.
In June 2022, Darren Cowart Jr. was apprehended following a traffic stop. The search for the second suspect, Antonio Duncan, continued for several more weeks until he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force on July 27, 2022. With both suspects in custody, the legal process began to unfold, promising to bring clarity and justice for the events of that fatal night.
Antonio Duncan's case proceeded to trial, where the details of the confrontation were laid bare. Evidence presented in court indicated that after a verbal argument between Capers and Duncan's brother, both Capers and Duncan drew firearms. It was revealed that Capers fired the first shot at Duncan. In the ensuing chaos, Duncan shot Capers a total of nine times. He also shot Capers' brother. Duncan's defense team argued self-defense in relation to the shooting of Capers. Ultimately, the jury acquitted Duncan of the murder charges connected to Capers' death, as well as several counts of aggravated assault related to the other patrons struck by gunfire. However, he was found guilty of aggravated assault for the shooting of Capers' brother, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On October 19, 2023, a Glynn County Superior Court Judge sentenced Antonio Duncan to 34 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
