CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon was equipped with a legal weapon when a teenager was hit by a bullet near his home earlier this month, but he did not open fire or pose. illegal acts, authorities said on Thursday.
However, Mixon’s sister and her boyfriend were charged. Lamonte Brewer and Shalonda Mixon remain at large and it is unclear whether they have retained the services of an attorney.
Brewer opened fire and is charged with felony assault, tampering with evidence and handling two weapons, Hamilton County District Attorney Melissa Powers said. Shalonda Mixon is charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. If found guilty on all counts, Brewer could spend 20 years behind bars and Shalonda Mixon, four.
Joe Mixon legally owns a firearm and faces no charges, authorities said.
The shooting occurred on March 6, when youths were playing near Mixon’s residence with foam dart guns, Powers said. She added that Joe Mixon had received death threats and feared the worst when he heard the youths screaming and their guns going off. Powers said Mixon was in his outer yard with Brewer, but the latter acted independently when he opened fire with a Zastava weapon, akin to an AK-47.
Surveillance video from Joe Mixon’s home captured the shooting. Shalonda Mixon is also seen retrieving the cartridges in the yard before running away with Brewer, Powers added. She added that Brewer and the others should have been able to realize it was a group of young people shooting foam darts with toys.
The shooting victim, a 16-year-old boy, was hit by at least one bullet and had to be treated in hospital. The boy has since been discharged.
