In the early evening of May 27, 2017, a festive atmosphere at an outdoor birthday party on Garibaldi Avenue in Stratford, Connecticut, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Amid the chaos, Andre Pettway, a 27-year-old Black male from nearby Bridgeport, was struck by a bullet. He was rushed to Bridgeport Hospital but succumbed to a gunshot wound to the back.
The incident, which unfolded around 6:50 p.m., marked the first homicide in the town in approximately five years.
The Stratford Police Department launched an immediate and intensive investigation into the shooting. Within two days, their efforts led to the arrest of 24-year-old Brandyn Ford of Stratford. A Special Response Team executed a warrant at his home on May 29, taking him into custody. Ford was identified as the alleged driver of a dark-colored vehicle from which shots were reportedly fired. He faced a slew of charges, including murder, weapon in a motor vehicle, risk of injury to minors, and reckless endangerment. A second suspect, 24-year-old Cris Concepcion of Bridgeport, was apprehended on July 15, 2017. Police believed Concepcion to be one of the shooters and charged him with murder, among other weapons-related offenses.
The legal process that followed brought a surprising turn of events. Brandyn Ford, who later became known as Brandyn Grant-Ford, spent over four years incarcerated while awaiting trial, a delay partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2021, a jury found him not guilty of all charges. During the trial, testimony from numerous witnesses failed to definitively identify who shot Pettway. Evidence presented indicated that bullet casings from three different firearms were recovered at the scene, suggesting a chaotic exchange of gunfire between two groups. While Grant-Ford admitted to being at the scene, no witnesses saw him with a gun or firing a weapon.
In November 2022, Cris Concepcion, who had been accused of being the shooter, faced a different outcome. With key witnesses reportedly unavailable to testify, he was sentenced in connection with the case. The investigation revealed that Andre Pettway was an unintended victim, tragically caught in the crossfire of a violent dispute. A former varsity basketball player at Bassick High School, he left behind a daughter. His funeral was held at Mount Aery Baptist Church in Bridgeport, drawing hundreds of mourners from the community.
