Alabama basketball star Brandon Miller brought then-teammate Darius Miles the gun that was used in a fatal January 15 shooting of a 23-year-old woman, an investigator said Tuesday, according to multiple local reports. Miles and another man have been charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting.
Michael Lynn Davis of Maryland, 20, allegedly pulled the trigger during the shooting, according to court records.
According to law enforcement, Miles texted Miller to bring Miles’ gun to the scene and it was exchanged in Miller’s car, according to reports. Alabama freshman guard Jaden Bradley was also at the scene, investigators reportedly said.
Alabama coach Nate Oats said Tuesday he has been aware of Miller’s presence since the incident came to light and that Miller was “not in trouble.”
“We were aware of this. I can’t control anything anyone does outside of training. No one knew this was going to happen,” Oats told reporters. “The middle schoolers came out, Brandon didn’t have any kind of trouble or any kind of trouble in this case. Wrong place at the wrong time.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Oats clarified what he called his “unfortunate remarks” made earlier in the day.
“We were informed by law enforcement that other student-athletes were nearby, and law enforcement repeatedly told us that no other student-athletes were suspicious – they were only witnesses. Our understanding is that they were all entirely truthful and cooperative,” the statement read.
“I had no intention of downplaying the seriousness of this situation or the tragedy of that night. My prayers continue to go out to the family of Jamea Harris.”
The shooting occurred near the off-campus entertainment district called “The Strip” in Tuscaloosa, police said. Davis is accused of firing the weapon into a car in which Jamea Jonae Harris, the mother of a 5-year-old son, was a passenger. Harris’ boyfriend, the driver of the car, told police he fought back in self-defense.
According to reports, attorneys for Miles and Davis have requested that their clients be released on bail and claim they fired in self-defense. The judge reportedly did not decide whether they would get bail or whether to send the case to a grand jury.
Miles – a junior forward who was ruled out for the season with an ankle injury just before the shooting – was dropped from the squad after his arrest, the school announced at the time.
Miller is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 forward leads No. 2 Alabama in averaging 18.7 points per game, adding eight rebounds.
(Photo: Marvin Gentry/USA Today)