Man sentenced for having gun used in shooting outside Joe Mixon's home

A man accused of opening fire on a teen playing near former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon’s home will spend time in federal prison for illegal gun possession.

Lamonte Brewer, 36, was sentenced on July 1 in federal court in Cincinnati to five years following his February guilty plea to a charge of having a firearm as a felon.

Brewer was on probation at the time of the March 2023 shooting, when prosecutors say he fired 11 rounds from an AK-47-style rifle at a group of teenagers and shot Mixon’s then-16-year-old neighbor in the foot.

The 16-year-old and his friends were playing “Nerf wars” with Nerf guns in an affluent part of Anderson Township.

U.S. District Judge Jeffery Hopkins said the shooting had “nearly tragic and deadly consequences.”

Hopkins cited the teen’s victim impact statement in court, saying the teen recalled bullets flying by his head and the family has been in a “constant state of paranoia” since the incident.

The teen had to drop his normal high school classes for online ones and has since left college because of questions and teasing about the shooting, Hopkins said.

“He was a kid playing a game with a group of friends,” Hopkins said, adding that the teen’s life has been irrevocably changed.

Prior gun crimes prevented Brewer from owning a firearm

Brewer’s federal conviction only stems from illegal weapons possession. He’s still awaiting trial for other charges related to the shooting.

He was not legally allowed to have a gun because of an assault with a firearm conviction in California, as well as a federal conviction for illegal firearms possession. He also has prior convictions for drug offenses.

Brewer’s facing additional charges in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, including felonious assault. If convicted in state court, any prison time Brewer receives could begin after he completes his federal prison term.

Joe Mixon was not charged in the shooting, but prosecutors say he was standing near Brewer and also holding an identical gun when Brewer opened fire.

At the time, Brewer was the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, Shalonda. She pleaded guilty last year to obstructing justice. She picked up many of the shell casings after the shooting.

Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, previously said the two men felt threatened by the teens because Mixon’s address had been improperly publicized, and he had been receiving threats on social media and at his home.

It was enough of a concern that a man in Mixon’s home called 911, and Mixon himself called the Bengals’ director of security, according to Schaffer. Shalonda Mixon’s five children were also inside the home and were instructed to hide in the basement.

Hopkins, the judge presiding over the federal case, said Brewer might suffer from undiagnosed bipolar disorder and PTSD, given his difficult upbringing. The judge added that Brewer was shot while on a freeway in 2018, and the bullet is still lodged in his chest.

Brewer declined to speak on his behalf in court. He asked to be placed in a federal prison near Oakland, California.

“My hope is that in a couple of years Mr. Brewer will rejoin society and do the great, positive, productive things God has in store for him,” Clyde Bennett II, his attorney, said in a statement.

Bennett said that Brewer’s family is pleased with the sentence, which was below the sentencing guideline range. He added that Brewer has received more than two years of credit for time served while awaiting trial.

Attorney says teen’s family has ‘suffered a great deal’

The teen and his mother were present in the courtroom for Brewer’s sentencing, although they didn’t speak.

The family is suing Mixon and Brewer, claiming the weapon and bullets Brewer allegedly used in the 2023 shooting were provided by Mixon.

Lee Tucker, an attorney representing the teen’s family in their civil case, said that Brewer’s federal sentencing has provided some relief and a sense of closure after a lengthy court proceeding.

“They have suffered a great deal,” Tucker said. “I think it’s been a very, very difficult process for them.”

Enquirer staff writer Kevin Grasha contributed to this report.

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