Family of man kidnapped, killed offers reward for information

ATLANTA, Ga. — The family of a man shot and killed Saturday morning is offering a $15,000 reward for information about the man's death.

Police say Jeronta Brown, 24, and Briana Brooks, 21, were kidnapped and then each shot in the head sometime before 6 a.m. Saturday. Brown died but Brooks was rushed to an area hospital and is listed in serious condition. Police said she was seven months pregnant. She is on life support after giving birth to a healthy baby girl. The family says Brooks and Brown also have an 8-month-old daughter.

DeKalb police said the couple was attacked outside their home on Coleen Court in Decatur at about 12:30 a.m.

According to police, a group of men grabbed the couple, handcuffed them and put them in a van before speeding off.

"When they pulled up, they pulled up behind them so they were maybe following them," said Brown's 14-year-old sister who saw it happen.

She said two men wearing black jumped out of a brown van and kidnapped the couple. The perpetrators "used handcuffs and said they (were) the FBI," said the girl, who asked not to be identified.

The girl ran, carrying her 8-month-old niece, jumping backyard fences until she could get to safety inside a neighbor's house.

"It's scary. Like real scary. I can't believe it happened," she said.

Brown's mom said at some point the kidnappers called her and Brown's father from their son's phone demanding money.

"The last thing he said is he was going to shoot them in the neck," said Kawana Brown.

Four hours later they couple was found by Orenthious Martin on Ridge Avenue in Atlanta. Martin said he and a friend drove up the street around 4:30 a.m. and saw the victims.

"He put the bright lights on and that's when I see the young man laying here face down, hands behind his back and was like there are two bodies,” Martin said.

Martin thinks they could not have been there long since the woman was still gagging for air.

"I knew she was alive," Martin said.

He said their hands were behind their backs.

"They were handcuffed, both of them," he said. "Not tied. There were handcuffs on them."

Police said they believe the couple were shot in the location where they were found.

"It's really too early in our investigation to speculate what happened, but we do know they were shot in this location," said Paul Guerrucci of the Atlanta Police Department.

Brown's mother said her son had no enemies and she is begging anyone with information to come forward.

"Please come forward. I just lost my only son. My baby, I lost him. I'd do anything for him," said Kawana Brown.

WSBTV