On the afternoon of March 28, 2022, the life of Timothy Treyvon Brown, a 35-year-old Black man, was cut short in a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The incident occurred at approximately 5:14 p.m. inside an apartment building at 2400 Elliot Avenue. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later confirmed that Brown died from multiple gunshot wounds and officially ruled his death a homicide.
For nearly two years, the investigation into Brown's death continued without any publicly
named suspects. However, a significant breakthrough came in early 2024. Investigators linked a man named Deandre Franklin to the crime scene through DNA evidence. His DNA was found to be a "major contributor" to samples taken from four 10mm cartridge casings recovered at the scene of the shooting. Due to multiple prior felony convictions, Franklin is legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition. This led federal prosecutors to charge him with illegally possessing the ammunition found at the site of Brown's death.
According to an affidavit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Franklin is also considered a "prime suspect" in the December 2023 shooting death of another individual. Further investigation into Brown's case revealed that a witness admitted to driving Franklin and another person to the apartment building on the day of the shooting. The witness stated that they heard several gunshots shortly after Franklin and the other individual went upstairs.
Despite the strong evidence linking him to the scene, as of early 2024, Deandre Franklin has not been formally charged with the murder of Timothy Treyvon Brown. He has been detained on the federal ammunition possession charges. The investigation into Timothy Treyvon Brown's homicide is ongoing.
