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Three of the men accused in a shooting that broke out during a Mechanicsville neighborhood celebration appeared in a Fulton County courtroom on Monday morning.
Rosa L. Burney Park mass shooting
Emotions ran high inside a Fulton County courtroom Monday as victims of a mass shooting at Rosa L. Burney Park faced the men accused of changing their lives forever.
Four defendants appeared for arraignment in connection with the August 2024 shooting that left five people wounded during a neighborhood gathering in southwest Atlanta. The charges include aggravated assault, reckless conduct, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Burney Park shooting victims demand justice
Among the victims in court was Komecia Battle, who lost her sight after being struck by a bullet. “I want justice. Don’t nobody know how I feel,” she said. “I was on life support. I had to learn how to walk and talk again.”
Another woman was paralyzed in the shooting, and relatives say their families continue to struggle more than a year later. “We’re never going to be ok,” said Tabitha Kolzie, the mother of one victim. “This has damaged us as a whole. We want justice and we as mothers will fight until we get justice.”
Outside the courthouse, defendant Timothy Brandford told reporters he had nothing to do with the gunfire. “They trying to frame me to be honest,” he said. “I was over there for a venue. I had my bouncy houses out there. This happened as I’m leaving this hood day.”
Brandford insists he was working the event when gunfire erupted. “Nothing to do with it. Never shot a gun, ain’t been checked for gun residue, they ain’t done nothing,” he said. “They need to get to the bottom of this and find the right people because I’m not one of them.”
Family members say they’re frustrated not only with the slow pace of justice but also with what they describe as a lack of support from city officials. They say no one has reached out to offer help or resources since the shooting.
Mechanicsville mass shooting
Authorities said four men in total are facing charges in connection with the Aug. 24 shooting at Rosa L. Burney Park. Branden Hart, Jaquan Taylor and Timothy Brandford face counts including aggravated assault, reckless conduct and gun offenses.
None of the three men had attorneys in court on Monday.
After the hearing, Brandford spoke to reporters outside and insisted he was innocent, saying that he was at the reunion for work.
The hearing was also attended by a couple of the victims and their families. They held a press conference after the hearing to demand justice.
Police said the suspects exchanged gunfire during a shootout on Windsor Street, sending bullets into a crowd gathered for a reunion and cookout at the park. Three teenagers and two women, ages 15 to 33, were wounded.
“This was Mechanicsville coming together,” one witness said. “It was the community coming together to spend time together. It was a BBQ. People playing games. Family. There were children, elders. Kids everywhere.”
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Eighteen-year-old Noah Williams, who was arrested in August and released on bond, is accused of firing a rifle toward the street. His current status is unknown.
The other three men will return to court at a future time.
