In the early morning hours of August 17, 2024, the life of Brandaja Azjree Florence Winston, a 28-year-old Black female from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was tragically cut short. She was standing with friends on a sidewalk on Stratford Avenue, enjoying a peaceful moment after a night out, when the unthinkable happened. At approximately 2:25 a.m., a vehicle drove by, and at least one occupant indiscriminately fired an assault-style rifle into the group.
Brandaja was struck by the gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene by medics. She was an unintended target in a senseless act of violence that also left a 30-year-old man critically injured.
The Bridgeport Police Department, alerted to the gunfire by the city's ShotSpotter system, arrived to find a chaotic scene on the 1300 block of Stratford Avenue. The investigation immediately began, with detectives working to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. A vehicle suspected of being involved in the incident was spotted later that night in New Haven. The driver led police on a chase before crashing into several parked cars and fleeing on foot. The car was recovered, and a passenger was interviewed by Bridgeport detectives, providing crucial information for the case. Investigators learned that the shooting was a drive-by and that Winston was an innocent bystander.
Months later, in December 2024, a significant breakthrough occurred in the case. Police arrested 34-year-old Terence Jermaine Gallimore and charged him with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree assault, and multiple weapons violations in connection with Brandaja's death. At the time of the shooting, Gallimore was on parole and had other pending criminal charges. He was already in custody for unrelated domestic violence charges when he was served with the arrest warrant.
Court documents revealed that Gallimore was allegedly one of at least two individuals who fired into the crowd that night. A witness informed investigators that Gallimore was reportedly seeking revenge against someone who had shot him years prior. The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to search for the second suspected shooter. Gallimore was arraigned in Bridgeport Superior Court, where a judge set his bond at $2 million. For the family of Brandaja Winston, a graduate of Bridge Academy who worked for the Bridgeport Housing Authority, the arrest brought a small measure of calm, but their lives were irrevocably changed by the loss of a vibrant young woman who was simply enjoying a summer night with her friends.
