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A fourth Alabama men's basketball player is now reported to have been at the scene of a fatal on-campus shooting that resulted in capital murder charges against a former teammate.
Freshman walk-on guard Kai Spears was reported to have been in a separate car with SEC Player of the Year Brandon Miller during the January 15 death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris, according to the New York Times.
Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and his childhood friend, Michael Davis, the accused shooter, face capital murder charges in relation to the incident.
A Tuscaloosa Police Officer previously testified that Miles -- who was dismissed from the team shortly after his arrest -- texted Miller asking him to bring Miles' gun just prior to the shooting incident. Jaden Bradley, a freshman guard, was also previously reported to be present at the scene.
Video footage reportedly showed Davis approach a Jeep on the driver's side before gunshots were seen entering and exiting the vehicle. Davis was reported to have been hit and staggered backward into a telephone pole before regaining his balance and continuing to fire shots.
Harris was a passenger in the Jeep at the time of the shooting. Two bullets were reported to have struck the windshield of Miller's car, but neither he nor Spears were reported to have been injured.
“I’m sorry, I’m not going to be able to speak about that,” said Spears, who is the son of Marshall University athletic director Christian Spears, while briefly addressing reporters ahead of the Crimson Tide's first-round NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday (March 16).
Miller, who is projected to be a top pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft also declined to comment, according to the New York Times. Miller was reportedly accompanied by security ahead of the NCAA March Madness Tournament due to threats directed his way, head coach Nate Oats told reporters on Wednesday (March 15).
“If you guys saw some of what I’ve seen sent his way, I think you would understand why that’s the case,” Oats said the Associated Press. “I don’t want to get into all that. The entire situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation on all accounts.”
Alabama is the top overall seed in the NCAA March Madness Tournament and the South Region, coming off an 82-63 win against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament Final in Nashville on Sunday (March 12). Miller recorded 23 points, six rebounds five assists during Sunday's win and averaged a conference-best 19.6 points, as well as 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, during the 2022-23 season.