MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) – Who was Brandon Webber? The 20-year-old was shot and killed as U.S. Marshals attempted to take him into custody in the 2700 block of Durham Avenue Wednesday night in Memphis. The shooting led to protests in the neighborhood.
The Local I-Team learned Webber graduated from Central High School in 2017. Friends say he had attended the University of Memphis.
Pictures and videos on social media show a different side of him.
While Webber’s family gathered outside the home Thursday, his friends met in front of Central High School to talk about the shooting.
Johnson was the father of three; a one-year-old, 3-month-old, and his youngest child was born Wednesday. Friends say he hoped to be a well-known rapper someday.
“This man had a heart of gold, he made sure everybody was ok,” said friend Tyrone Johnson.
“You knew if you needed anything, you could call Brandon. You know if you needed to talk, you can call Brandon,” said friend Tasia Turner.
While friends portray him one way, on social media, Webber is seen flashing money, guns, and gang signs. There are videos of him doing drugs and telling people how to roll up weed.
Friends dismiss that, saying, “Everybody has two sides to them, but that doesn’t mean he has a bad side, we all know the good Brandon. We don’t know a bad Brandon.”
“I do want to make sure the investigation is transparent, and the investigation is fair,” said TN State Rep. Antonio Parkinson.
Parkinson says Webber’s persona online shouldn’t factor into the state investigation.
“Regardless of what we think or what perception we have of this young man, there’s a lot of people that loved him and he was a family member to a lot of people. He was a friend to a lot of people,” said Parkinson.
Webber posted a Facebook live video hours before he was shot of him having a brief interaction with police. Webber says in the video that officers would have to catch him. His friends dismiss the videos and pictures.
“Pictures are pictures. You come from a certain place that’s something you know, but when you want to grow, you do what you do to have to grow. You surpass that,” said Turner.
