Adrian Laroze Briskey is charged with the murder of Michelle Shephard following Alabama's stunning loss to Auburn in Saturday's Iron Bowl. It's unclear what exactly happened, but according to the victim's sister, Briskey murdered Shephard because she was not sad enough about the loss.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said Shepherd and Briskey, both Alabama fans, got into an argument shortly after the game ended. The argument started inside the apartment, and spilled over into the parking lot. Derzis said the argument turned physical and both women ended up on the ground.
Briskey pulled a small caliber handgun and shot the other. Derzis said the two women didn't know each other. He said police have not yet confirmed what started the fight.
Shephard's sister, Neketa, gives a completely different account. She said Briskey got angry when the two were joking about the Miami Heat instead of being upset about the loss to Auburn.
She said Briskey was drunk and belligerent and her friends took her outside to take her home. Since the game had ended and a card game was about to begin, the Shepherd sisters decided to head home. She said neither she nor her sister drink.
Briskey was still outside, and was still angry. "She was saying she was going to beat us up,'' Neketa Shepherd said. "Somebody was saying, 'they don't care about Alabama.'''
They got into their car to leave, but were blocked by people standing in the parking lot. Neketa Shepherd said they were concerned about hitting someone, so she and her sister got out of the car and asked them to move out of the way. They talked to some friends, and the next thing they knew, gunfire rang out. Neketa Shepherd said she heard five shots. "She was like 10 feet away. My sister never touched her, and she never touched my sister,'' she said. "They never had words."
Derzis says he supports the police account, although Hoover Police Captain Jim Coker told the Associated Press the not-sad-enough claim is being investigated. Briskey is awaiting transfer to county jail, with bond set at $75,000.
Photo credit: Getty
Hoover police charge woman, 28, with murder in shooting at Iron Bowl party [Al.com]