A Florida business owner has been convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting the son of a local high school football coach. The incident occurred in Key West, Florida, where Garrett Hughes, 21, was shot and killed by Lloyd Preston Brewer III, 60, following a confrontation outside a small mall.
The altercation took place after both men had been watching the Super Bowl at a bar within the mall. CCTV footage captured Hughes urinating on a wall outside the bar, prompting Brewer to approach him and engage in a verbal dispute. Brewer later claimed that he felt threatened by Hughes and believed he was reaching for a weapon, leading him to act in self-defense by shooting Hughes in the torso.
Despite Brewer’s self-defense claim, a jury at the Monroe County Circuit Court found him guilty of premeditated murder after reviewing witness testimonies and security footage that contradicted his version of events. Brewer now faces a life sentence in prison for his actions.
Following the verdict, Chief Assistant Monroe County State Attorney Joseph Mansfield criticized Brewer for choosing to escalate the confrontation into deadly violence instead of disengaging. Major Crimes Assistant State Prosecutor Colleen Dunne praised the witnesses who came forward and testified, ensuring that justice was served for Hughes.
Brewer’s lawyer plans to appeal the jury’s decision, arguing that they were not properly instructed by the judge.