Police in Texas say a 22-year-old man believed social media rumors about his brother’s killer, which led him to allegedly shoot and kill an innocent man at a balloon release ceremony held in his late brother’s honor, KWTX reports.
Norman Christopher Collier IV is alleged to have committed the murder on April 25 during the ceremony honoring his late 19-year-old sibling Camran Collier. The younger Collier was shot and killed on April 22 before police found his body in a 2013 Honda Accord, as witnesses claim they saw a man exit the vehicle after hearing gunshots. Just days later, the ceremony held at Les Zeiger Park in DeSoto, Texas ended before 20-year-old Kolby Marquise Graham was shot in the head and died several days later.
Norman “mistakenly believed the internet rumors about his brother’s killer, then took revenge against the wrong man at his brother’s balloon release ceremony by shooting Kolby Graham,” according to DeSoto Police. The suspect in his brother’s murder is believed to be a Black man with short dreadlocks who was last seen wearing a gray hoodie and jeans, police said.
“In response to the senseless killing of a person wrongly identified as murder suspect, [DeSoto Police] are URGING citizens to use caution & common sense when posting information to social media,” police wrote on Twitter. “Please check veracity & source of any info related to police matters. It can save a life!”
