Brett Adkins, a 17-year-old male from Plano, Texas, was tragically shot and killed on December 24, 2017, in Irving, Texas. The incident occurred during a botched marijuana deal. According to reports, Adkins met with two suspects at Tom Landry Elementary School in Irving for the transaction. One suspect entered Adkins' car and sat in the back seat, while the other stood outside the driver's door.
After Adkins showed the suspects the marijuana, the suspect standing outside brandished a gun and demanded Adkins to "just give me it all." A fight ensued, and Adkins was shot in the chest. He was taken to Baylor Hospital in Grapevine, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Christmas Day.
The suspects involved in the shooting were identified as 19-year-old Areon Trevon McDade and 18-year-old Demarcus Antwon Williams, both from Irving. McDade was arrested early on January 8, 2018, and Williams was arrested on January 5, 2018. Both suspects faced capital murder charges for their involvement in the death of Brett Adkins. The investigation revealed that evidence from a black iPhone dropped by one of the suspects at the scene was used to identify McDade. Williams was identified through witness testimony and video surveillance footage.
Brett Adkins was a student at Plano West High School and was expected to graduate in 2019. He was the son of Bill Adkins, a prominent local businessman who owned several car dealerships in the area. Brett had spent the summer working at one of his father's dealerships and volunteered at an animal shelter. His family set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the "Brett Adkins Charitable Foundation," which was registered as a domestic nonprofit corporation with the Texas Secretary of State on December 28, 2017.
The case garnered significant attention due to the tragic nature of the incident and the involvement of young individuals in a violent crime. The Irving Police Department withheld some information about the crime pending further investigation. The arrests and subsequent indictments of McDade and Williams marked a significant development in the case, as both suspects faced serious charges for their roles in the death of Brett Adkins.
