Duval County Jury Finds Brooks Guilty of Murdering his Nephew

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Anthony Brooks guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon for shooting and killing his nephew. With the verdict, Brooks faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable London Kite will sentence Brooks at a later date.

On July 6, 2024, officers responded to a crash on Myrtle Avenue. A witness removed the driver from the vehicle and started performing life-saving measures until first responders arrived. When officers took over, they noticed the victim was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue took the victim the hospital where he died. Homicide detectives took over the investigation which revealed the victim and his daughter were at a family gathering earlier that day; Brooks was also there. Brooks is the uncle of the victim. The victim and Brooks got into an argument, and the victim left the home. ShotSpotter determined shots were later fired on Ella Street just before midnight. Detectives recovered four shell casings in the road. Around 5:30 a.m., Brooks went to an acquaintance’s home and rang the doorbell; when the acquaintance didn’t answer, Brooks talked to the doorbell camera and confessed to shooting and killing the victim. Brooks claimed he shot the victim in self-defense since the victim was armed, however, evidence from the victim’s phone refuted that claim. Brooks is a convicted felon and has been since 1987, and therefore, he is not legally allowed to possess a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Annie Maguire and Jay Plotkin.