Jury selection begins in murder of Gwinnett County coach killed in attempted carjacking
Trial begins for beloved coach murdered by 3
The trial of three men accused of killing a beloved Gwinnett County football coach is on. Bradley Coleman was shot at a Peachtree Corners QT gas station last July during an attempted carjacking. Family, friends, and community members who knew and loved him are looking forward to receiving justice in the case.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The trial for three men accused of murdering a popular Gwinnett County coach during a botched carjacking at a gas station has begun.
Loved ones of 29-year-old Bradley Coleman sat patiently in the Gwinnett County courtroom Monday afternoon as the suspects’ lawyers and the prosecution heard from potential jurors.
They said they had prayed for justice in Coleman’s death, and now the trial of his accused killers is now underway.
Josiah Hughly, Miles Collins, and David Booker are charged with the murder and aggravated assault of 29-year-old Brandley Coleman.
Coleman, who was living in New Orleans, came to Gwinnett County to visit family in July 2022. When he stopped to inflate his tires at the QuikTrip gas station on Peachtree Parkway and Peachtree Corners Circle, police said a car with three men pulled up. One man jumped into his car, trying to carjack him.
Officials say while Coleman struggled with the two men, a driver of another vehicle, who was unaware of what was happening, pulled up behind Coleman's car to wait to utilize the air pumps, causing one of the suspects to back into that waiting car as they tried to flee.
"The suspect got out of the victim’s vehicle, and one of the suspects shot the victim. Both suspects got back into their vehicle and drove off," the Gwinnett County Police Department stated. Investigators later identified the gunman as Booker.
Authorities arrested Booker for the shooter 10 days later. Collins was arrested in August 2022, and Hughley was taken into custody the month after.
All three men have been in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail since their arrests.
Bradley Coleman
Who was Bradley Coleman?
According to a GoFundMe to support his daughter, Coleman "graduated from Norcross high school & won Mr. Norcross 2011, won Norcross High School State Basketball Championship, played football in Louisiana, and came back to Georgia to coach high school football."
Family remembers described the 29-year-old to FOX 5 as humble, kind, and caring.
Coleman’s longtime friend Reid Sanders, who played with him at Southern University, said to FOX 5 at a memorial for the coach that he wished he had talked to him one last time.
"If I would’ve known I wouldn’t have a chance to talk to him again, I would have told him how much I loved him," Sanders said, holding back tears. "He was just one of the most genuine guys, nice people. Always had a smile on his face. Brought the energy."