North Miami Beach Football Star Killed Over Marijuana

MIAMI, FL — One day after North Miami Beach High School football star Brian Brown succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, his family was quoted as saying that the 6 feet 2 inch, 260-pound fullback and defensive tackle was shot last week while selling video games to a buyer he met on Craigslist. The Brown family asked for help in solving the case, something that Miami-Dade police said they did earlier this week with the help of Brown's girlfriend and a confession from his alleged killer. But instead of video games, police believe Brown was selling 14 grams of marijuana.

Twenty-year-old Ed Lamarre of Miami was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Brown, who was shot multiple times in the driver's seat of his 2015 Chrysler 200 in what Miami-Dade police now say was a drug deal gone wrong. (Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Patch.)

By all accounts, Brown had everything to live for. Multiple news accounts quoted his family saying that the 2017 graduate of Miami Beach Senior High School had received a full scholarship to play football at Merced College in California and was set to leave the Miami area on July 1.

Watch highlights of Brown's high school football career.

The shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m. on June 14 in the 100 block of NE 9 Avenue as Brown's girlfriend looked on from the front passenger seat. Lamarre, of the 17000 block of NE 8 Place, was sitting in the back seat behind Brown's girlfriend, according to arrest documents.

Social media posts like the one below said that Brown was killed as a result of a Craigslist sale as his family had maintained in interviews with the CBS affiliate in Miami and other news organizations:

"The victim handed a plastic bag containing the marijuana to the defendant," arrest documents state. "Seconds later, the defendant produced a firearm and shot the victim. The defendant fled on food leaving his cellular telephone in the rear passenger seat area."

Miami-Dade police said that the wounded Brown hit the gas and drove to a stop sign, where got himself to the backseat and told his girlfriend to drive to the hospital. She took him to Jackson North Medical Center, but he was immediately transferred to Aventura Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and was deemed to be in critical condition.

At about 5:20 a.m. the next morning Brown succumbed to his injuries. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's office ruled the death a homicide on June 16.

That was on the Friday after last Wednesday's shooting. Brown's girlfriend identified Lamarre in a sequential photographic lineup as the shooter by Monday, according to the arrest documents.

Hours later, police said that Lamarre was located at his home and taken into custody for questioning by Miami-Dade homicide detectives.

"The defendant admitted to arranging to conduct a narcotics transaction involving 14 grams of marijuana from the victim," arrest documents state. "The defendant admitted that he did not have any money or intent to pay for the marijuana, rather, intended on stealing the marijuana from the victim."

Lamarre was charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon, according to Detective Robin Pinkard of the Miami-Dade Police Department. She said that officers were called to the hospital where Brown was being treated for his wounds.

"The defendant, who was armed with a 9 mm pistol at the time of the theft of the marijuana, shot the victim after the victim attempted to take the marijuana back," arrest documents state.

To report a tip, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477) or 866-471-8477, visit crimestoppersmiami.com and select "Give a Tip" or text "CSMD" followed by the tip to 274637.

Photo of Ed Lamarre courtesy of Miami-Dade Police Department