Darnell Brown, a 39-year-old Black / African American male, was fatally shot in Murray, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 21, 2021, following a heated argument that escalated into a tragic act of violence. The altercation began in the parking lot of an apartment complex where Darnell Brown was reportedly making fun of a black Range Rover recently purchased by Patrick Koaneil Brown, 42.
The two men, who are not related, began to argue.
According to witness statements, the verbal dispute intensified when Patrick Brown allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Darnell Brown, who became angry that a weapon was drawn in front of his family. Following this, Patrick Brown drove away from the parking lot, and Darnell Brown followed him. At the intersection of 4500 South and State Street, Patrick Brown reportedly leaned out of his vehicle and threatened to shoot Darnell if he continued to follow him. Darnell Brown then used his phone to take a picture of the temporary tag on Patrick Brown's SUV before his own vehicle collided with it. Darnell Brown then exited his vehicle and challenged Patrick Brown to a physical fight.
In response, Patrick Brown made a U-turn, pulled up alongside Darnell Brown, and shot him once in the head. He then fired a couple more shots at Darnell's vehicle before driving away. Darnell Brown's fiancée was in the passenger seat of his car at the time of the shooting. Emergency crews arrived at the scene around 1 p.m. and found Darnell Brown deceased in the road next to his vehicle.
Investigators were able to identify the suspect using the photograph Darnell Brown had taken of the temporary license plate. This led them to a local car dealership and subsequently to Patrick Koaneil Brown. A search warrant was served at a home in Midvale where the suspect was taken into custody without incident later that same day. Upon his arrest, Patrick Brown made spontaneous statements to the police, admitting that he had shot the victim after an argument over a vehicle and that the firearm was inside his residence. It was later revealed that Patrick Brown had a prior criminal record, including convictions for bank robbery and aggravated assault in Alabama, which legally prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
Patrick Koaneil Brown was charged with murder, three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of shooting in the direction of a person, and being a restricted person in possession of a firearm. In August 2022, a jury found him guilty of murder, but also determined he acted in "imperfect self-defense," which reduced the conviction to manslaughter. However, in April 2025, the Utah Court of Appeals vacated the manslaughter conviction and ordered a new trial. The court ruled that a detective's testimony, which stated that Darnell Brown hitting Patrick Brown's car did not constitute an aggravated assault, had prejudiced the trial.
