In a tragic turn of events on November 4, 2020, Ray Brown, a 55-year-old male community leader from Oklahoma City, was fatally shot. The incident unfolded on the eighth floor of a hotel in the city's Bricktown district. Brown was a significant advocate for Black-owned businesses and was remembered by friends and community members as someone who was always there to support others.
The circumstances leading to his death involved his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Tyesha Long, who was 23
at the time. An altercation between the two resulted in Long drawing a 9 mm pistol and shooting Brown. Following the incident, Long claimed she acted in self-defense, stating that Brown had threatened her and that she feared for her life.
However, the investigation and subsequent trial brought forth evidence that contradicted Long's account. Authorities discovered Brown's body in a hallway, some distance from where the initial confrontation was said to have occurred, and determined he had been shot in the back from a distance of at least three feet. This physical evidence, along with other inconsistencies in her story, led prosecutors to question her claim of self-defense.
Ultimately, an Oklahoma County jury found Tyesha Long guilty of first-degree manslaughter. The jury recommended a 27-year prison sentence for her role in Ray Brown's death. It was also revealed during the investigation that Long had a protective order against Brown, yet she had visited him multiple times in the week leading up to the fatal shooting.
