The NAACP Houston branch will hold a dedication run tonight in honor of Ahmaud Arbery, the unarmed man who was shot to death while jogging near his home in Brunswick, Georgia.
Father Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis, 34, have been charged with murder and arrested. Police released their mugshots overnight.
The charges came more than two months after Arbery was killed. National outrage over the case swelled this week after a cellphone video that appeared to show the Feb. 23 shooting.
Gregory previously told police that he and his son chased after Arbery because they suspected him of being a burglar. They said they thought he was the same person seen on security cameras breaking into homes. The McMichaels said they were trying to make a citizen’s arrest.
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, has said she believes her son, a former football player, was just jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood before he was killed on a Sunday afternoon.
In the video, the McMichaels are waiting for Arbery, then there’s a struggle between him and Travis. Gun shots go off, and Arbery collapses.
Gregory is a former police officer and former investigator for a county prosecutor. Because of those ties, two prosecutors have already recused themselves from the case.
“He was a happy-go-lucky person, he loved his family. One of his famous quotes was, “I love you. And thank you.” He had the most humble spirit, and once I think about who he was as a person, and think about how his life ended, it just seems so unfair,” Arbery’s mother Wanda Cooper said.
The Houston NAACP posted about the walk, asking participants to remember to bring a mask or face covering.
Meet at the organization’s building at 2002 Wheeler at 6 p.m. The event will start at 6:30 p.m.
You can walk, run, or jog 2.23 miles. The number signifies the day Arbery was killed.
Whether you join the event in person or virtually, you can post a photo or video using #IRUNWITHMAUD.
Arbery would have turned 26 today.
