Snapchat links Charles County murder victim, suspect: charging documents

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Charging documents released Thursday are shedding more light on what may have happened in connection with the murder of a North Point High School student in Charles County.

Authorities say Darryl Edward Freeman was arrested Wednesday and faces multiple charges including first-degree murder in the shooting death of Bradley Alan Brown.

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Brown was shot and killed in a driveway in the 3100 block of Warehouse Landing Road in Bryans Road on Tuesday at around 7 p.m.

FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick obtained a copy of the charging documents Thursday. According to the documents, a neighbor called police to report the shooting. Officers arrived to find Brown in the driveway with gunshot wounds to the chest and leg. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the documents, a fully loaded Smith and Wesson handgun was found on the ground next to Brown. Police determined it had not been fired. An Apple iPhone belonging to Brown was found in his pocket.

Detective's contacted neighbor's on the block whose home has security cameras. Police say they reviewed the surveillance videos and spotted a dark-colored vehicle backing into Brown's driveway prior to the shooting. The video also captured the sound of two gunshots, the documents say, and moments later, recorded the same vehicle speeding away from the home.

According to the documents, witnesses told detectives that Brown had recently begun selling "THC vape cartridges." Detectives say a few days before the shooting, Brown posted a video to Snapchat offering a box of cartridges for sale. The documents also state that Freeman "supposedly sells marijuana."

A forensic analysis of Brown's phone found a Snapchat conversation between him and Freeman in which Brown messaged Freeman his address, the documents say. Detectives also added that, at some point after the shooting, Brown's Snapchat had been blocked from Freeman's Snapchat and that they were no longer friends who followed each other. Detectives also say that following the shooting, Freeman's Snapchat name was changed.

According to the documents, detectives used the surveillance video and information obtained from Brown's phone to identify and track down Freeman. Detectives say that once they located and arrested Freeman they searched his phone, according to the documents. Officers found internet searches for the exact "THC vape cartridges" Brown was selling and also determined that Freeman's phone was outside the victim's residence around the time of the shooting.

A student support team of counselors, psychologists and pupil personnel workers are at North Point High School and at Thomas Stone High School where Freeman attended, according to CCPS officials.