On a summer afternoon in Little Rock, Arkansas, the lives of two brothers were tragically cut short by gun violence. The incident unfolded on July 11, 2023, near the 2100 block of South Pine Street, forever changing the landscape of a local family and community. Thirty-six-year-old Brandan Tramell Ray, an African American male, and his 29-year-old brother, Brodrick Tiyell Ray, were fatally shot in a brazen act of violence that also left a third man wounded.
Responding to reports of a
shooting around 3:30 p.m., Little Rock police officers arrived at the scene to find a grim tableau. Brandan and Brodrick Ray were discovered with gunshot wounds and, despite the urgent response from emergency medical personnel, both were pronounced dead at the location. The brothers were known in their community as the owner-operators of Ray's Lawn Service, a family business they built together. Their deaths marked the 29th and 30th homicides in the city for that year.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to identify two suspects. The first, 54-year-old Tyron Nutt, was also found at the scene with a gunshot wound. After receiving medical treatment at a local hospital, Nutt was taken into custody and charged with two counts of capital murder. As the investigation progressed, a second suspect, 22-year-old Tyree Waters, was also identified and subsequently arrested. He faces the same charges of two counts of capital murder in connection with the deaths of the Ray brothers.
