Prosecutor: Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon armed but did not fire gun when teen boy shot near his home
CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon was armed with a legal weapon when a teenage boy was shot near the player's home earlier this month but he did not fire the gun or do anything illegal, authorities said Thursday as they announced the indictments of Mixon's sister and her boyfriend.
Lamonte Brewer and Shalonda Mixon both remain at large and it's not known if either one has retained an attorney, news outlets quoted Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers as saying at a news conference.
Brewer fired several shots and is charged with felonious assault, tampering with evidence and two weapons counts, Powers said. Shalonda Mixon is charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. Brewer faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts, while Shalonda Mixon faces up to four years.
Joe Mixon owns his gun legally and faces no charges, authorities said. Messages were left Thursday with the Bengals seeking comment from the team or Mixon.
The March 6 shooting happened as several juveniles were playing dart wars, where teams shoot at each other with foam dart guns, Powers said. She added that Joe Mixon had been receiving death threats and was concerned when he heard people were running around nearby with weapons. She said the running back was in the yard with Brewer when the shots rang out, but Brewer — armed with a Zastava pistol, which resembles an AK-47 and fires the same round — acted independently.
Surveillance footage from Joe Mixon's home captured the shooting and also showed Shalonda Mixon collecting shell casings from the yard before she and Brewer left the home, Powers said. She said Brewer and others should have been able to tell that the numerous youths playing the dart wars game were carrying toy weapons.
The shooting victim, a 16-year-old boy, was hit by at least one shot and was treated at a hospital. He has since been released.