WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Travis McMichael, who shot Ahmaud Arbery, his father Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, who took part in the chase, were all convicted of multiple counts of murder, aggravated assault and false imprisonment. A predominantly white jury in Brunswick, Georgia, deliberated for less than 12 hours over two days before delivering their verdicts. Travis, 35, Gregory, 65, a retired police officer, and Bryan, 52, face potential life in prison for the February 2020 shooting of the 25-year-old Arbery.
The judge did not schedule sentencing today, but he said he plans to set a date in the coming weeks.
Here’s a breakdown of each of the counts that defendants were charged with in the case, along with the maximum penalties:
Count 1: Malice murder
Maximum penalty: Life without the possibility of parole
Count 2: Felony murder (Felony offense: Aggravated assault with a firearm)
Count 3: Felony murder (Felony offense: Aggravated assault with pickup trucks)
Count 4: Felony murder (Felony offense: False imprisonment)
Count 5: Felony Murder (Felony offense: Criminal attempt to commit a felony)
Maximum penalty for any of the four charges: Life without the possibility of parole
Count 6: Aggravated assault (with firearms)
Count 7: Aggravated assault (with pickup trucks)
Maximum penalty: 20 years
Count 8: False imprisonment
Maximum penalty: 10 years
Count 9: Criminal attempt to commit a felony
Maximum penalty: Five years
A crowd erupted in cheers outside the courthouse as the verdict was announced, chanting: “Say his name. Ahmaud Arbery!” “Today is a good day,” Arbery’s father, Marcus, told the gathering. “I don’t want to see no daddy watch their kid get lynched and shot down like that.”
President Biden reacted to the guilty verdicts in the trial of three men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery, saying that it “ensures that those who committed this horrible crime will be punished.”
“While the guilty verdict reflects our justice system doing its job, that alone is not enough,” Biden said in a statement.
“Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin,” the President said. Biden said Arbery “should be here today” celebrating the holidays with his family, pledging that his administration will continue to work for equal justice.