Alabama Basketball Star Gave Gun To Former Teammate Before Fatal Shooting, Police Say

Local police testified on Tuesday that Alabama basketball star Brandon Miller gave his former teammate Darius Miles the gun used to kill a woman in January.

Jamea Jonae Harris was fatally shot in the early morning of January 12th after Miles and Michael Lynn Davis allegedly shot at a car she was riding in near the University of Alabama’s campus. Part of the shooting was caught on a Ring Doorbell camera.

On Tuesday afternoon, Detective Branden Culpepper testified that Miles reached out to Miller to bring his gun to the location they were at.

“The heat is in the hat,” Miles said to Davis, according to Culpepper. Which meant the gun was there.

Culpepper said Miles added, “there’s one in the head,” which meant there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun.

According to police testimony, Miller’s windshield was hit with two rounds during the shooting, and Alabama guard Jaden Bradley was at the scene.

AL.Com asked District Attorney Paula Whitley why Miller was not charged. She said, “that’s not a question I can answer. There’s nothing we could charge him with.”

Alabama’s head basketball coach Nate Oates was questioned at a press conference after the police’s testimony came to light, and he admitted he was aware that Miller was at the scene.

“We knew about that,” Oates said. “Can’t control everything everybody does outside of practice. Nobody knew that was going to happen. College kids are out; Brandon hasn’t been in any type of trouble, nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Wrong spot at the wrong time.”

“We’ll address it; I’m sure NBA scouts will ask,” Oates said. “They do their homework.”

ESPN projects Miller will be a top-five pick in the 2023 NBA Draft in mid-June.

The attorneys representing Miles and Davis requested that their clients be released on bond, but as of Tuesday afternoon, both remained in Tuscaloosa County Jail.

Watch Oates’ comments above via @_NickKelly on Twitter.