In the early morning hours of Sunday, March 20, 2016, a violent encounter unfolded inside a Renton, Washington apartment that tragically ended the life of 33-year-old Michael Anthony Flowers, a Black male. The incident, which took place at the Plum Tree Park Apartments, stemmed from a domestic dispute involving an ex-girlfriend of the suspect.
The tragic chain of events began when Brandon Lamar Green, a 32-year-old Kent man, arrived at the apartment and began pounding on the door,
demanding entry. Inside were a woman, her friend Michael Flowers, and Green's ex-girlfriend. After a brief silence, Green resumed his efforts to get into the apartment, leading the woman inside to believe he had retrieved a weapon. Fearing what was to come, she refused to open the door.
Eventually, Green gained access to the apartment. Once inside, he confronted Flowers, who had retreated to a couch with his hands up in a non-threatening posture. Despite this, Green shot Flowers multiple times in the chest and buttocks. The woman in the apartment made several attempts to remove Green from the residence, but he forced his way back in and shot Flowers again. Arriving Renton Police officers found Green in the parking lot with a gunshot wound to his groin and Flowers critically injured inside the apartment. Flowers was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Brandon Lamar Green was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Michael Flowers. He was also charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm due to a prior felony conviction. The King County Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled Flowers' death a homicide. The motive for the shooting appeared to be jealousy, as it was revealed that Flowers had a past relationship with Green's ex-girlfriend, who was present during the fatal altercation.
