Jalen Leon Bradley (WTVJ screenshot) and Miami-Dade Family Dollar store (Google Maps)
A 27-year-old man in Florida has been arrested after he allegedly walked up to a woman and executed her outside of a Family Dollar store, coming up behind the victim and fatally shooting her in the back of the head. Jalen Leon Bradley was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of second-degree murder with a weapon, one count of being a felon in possession of a gun, and one count of tampering with physical evidence, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a report from Miami ABC affiliate WPLG, officers with the Miami-Dade Police Department and emergency fire rescue crews at about 12:30 a.m. on the morning of Monday, Jan. 22 responded to an emergency call regarding a shooting having occurred at 9390 NW 27th Avenue, which is the address of a Family Dollar store.
Upon arriving at the location, first responders said they located the victim, whose name and age have not yet been released. She was not moving and was bleeding from the back of her head where she appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound, Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ reported. The victim was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.
A subsequent autopsy performed by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner reportedly determined that the victim’s manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the area and said they were able to identify a black Kia Optima which they believed was involved in the fatal shooting. The car was towed and impounded by police.
Investigators located Bradley somewhere in the 8000 block of Northwest Seventh Avenue where he was taken into custody and interviewed by police, reports state. During the interview, Bradley reportedly provided investigators with a full confession. A subsequent search of his car resulted in police seizing one box of ammunition but did not find a firearm, which resulted in the tampering with evidence charge.
Authorities have not speculated on a possible motive for the shooting, nor have they clarified whether Bradley and the victim knew each other before the shooting.
Bradley was transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Bradley was represented by a public defender during his arraignment on Wednesday where the judge emphasized that he provided police with a “full confession” and ordered him to remain in detention without bond. He is currently scheduled to appear in court again on Friday.
