Police are searching for a Jacksonville man who has been accused in connection with the shooting death of a 16-year-old football player in Brunswick.
Police said Friday that investigators secured murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime warrants for Jacksonville resident Breon Hartley, 21, in connection to the shooting that left My’kal Ellis dead.
The Brunswick Police Department said Ellis was walking home from a friend’s house when he was shot and killed Tuesday night in front of his home on Johnston Street.
Police said Hartley is considered to be armed and dangerous and anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should call 911. Those with additional information are urged to contact Det. Anthony Trollinger at (912) 279-2640 or Silent Witness at (912) 267-5516.
Ellis’s family and the police said they believe Ellis was not the intended target. Neighbors said Ellis was the third person shot on the same block within the past several days.
An aunt of Ellis’ said her nephew was an honor student and loved basketball and football.
It’s with a heavy heart to say we lost a member of our football family last night. Please pray for his family and the BHS Football Team. Mykal Ellis was a joy to coach, he was a tremendous teammate, & he was a great friend. 💙💛 #LLM #AllAboutTheFamily @CoachGGrady pic.twitter.com/TSGN8Pe5xz
— Brunswick High Football (@BrunswickFB) June 14, 2023
“He was just coming home from football practice, so he didn’t have a reason to be on the lookout for anything,” she said.
His family believes it was a case of mistaken identity because they say he didn’t have any enemies and he was known to be on the straight and narrow.
“He was an honorable student and an honorable athlete at Brunswick High School. There’s not anything bad that someone can say about him,” his aunt said.
Witnesses said Ellis’s mother heard the gunshots, ran outside and did everything humanly possible to prevent her son from dying until paramedics arrived.
“She was trying to help revive him but was unable to,” his aunt said.