Photo courtesy of the DeSoto Police Department
An innocent man is dead after revenge-seeking Norman Christopher Collier IV murdered him because he believed internet rumors identifying the victim as his brother’s killer.
Collier’s brother, 19-year-old Camran Collier, was shot and killed on April 22 while sitting in the driver’s seat of a Honda in DeSoto, Texas, reported KWTV. Eyewitnesses told police officers they saw a man leave the car and flee on foot. The suspect was described as a Black man with short locs wearing a grey hoodie and jeans.
Although a suspect has not been apprehended in Camran’s murder, social media rumors spread about the identity of his killer. Norman Collier heard about those rumors and decided to seek justice on his own.
On April 25, three days after Camran’s death, a balloon release ceremony was held in his honor at a local park. After the event was over, Kolby Marquise Graham, one of the attendees, was shot in the head. He survived for a few days before he died, reported CBS DFW. None of the witnesses cooperated with police after Graham was killed.
Detectives believed there was a connection between the deaths, and upon investigation, they discovered social media posts naming Graham as Camran’s murderer. The police believe those rumors are directly responsible for Graham’s killing.
“We believe if this information about Kolby being the shooter of Camran had not been so passed on and gone viral on social media, he would not even shot,” DeSoto Police Cpl. Pete Schulte told CBS DFW.
Norman Collier was charged with capital murder and is being held on a $1 million bond. DeSoto Police issued a stern warning about social media misinformation in the aftermath of Graham’s senseless murder.
“In response to the senseless killing of a person wrongly identified as murder suspect, (DeSoto Police) are URGING citizens to use caution & common sense when posting information to social media. Please check veracity & source of any info related to police matters. It can save a life!” the police department tweeted.
Camran Collier’s killer is still at large. Anyone with information should call (469) 658-3050.