On February 18, 2024, 39-year-old James Brown III was fatally shot outside the Bridgeport Medical Lodge in Bridgeport, Texas. Police were called about a physical altercation between two men near the facility’s back entrance at about 12:42 p.m.; witnesses reported hearing gunshots. Brown, who worked at the facility as a dietary aide but was off duty at the time, was found with a gunshot wound and taken to Medical City Decatur, where he was pronounced dead at 1:35 p.m. He is survived by his wife Nikki Brown, their unborn child, and his children Izzabella Sosa, Akiva Brown, Donovan Brown, and Devon Brown. Brown was known for antiquing, building with Legos, and collecting action figures.

A 23-year-old Bridgeport resident, Nathaniel Dominguez, was arrested at the scene; a firearm was found nearby and he was initially charged with possession offenses and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Surveillance video from a nearby business later showed Brown standing on the running board of his truck with the driver’s-side door open while the other man stood 40 to 50 feet away before the other man began shooting, a sequence that contradicted the arrested man’s earlier statement that Brown had been reaching for a weapon after a physical confrontation. The investigation remains ongoing.

If anyone witnessed the incident or has information about what happened, please share what is known with authorities.