Family of 28-year-old shot at a Mishawaka bar heartbroken

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- A tragedy at Bleachers The Bar in Mishawaka happened at 2:15 a.m. Friday morning. 28-year-old Avery Christopher Brown was shot and killed while out for a night of fun.

Avery’s family says he was just celebrating one of his good friend’s birthdays. They described him as a humble, quiet young man with a happy-go-lucky personality.

His family says they are heartbroken by this act of violence along with the rest of the community in Buchanan, Michigan, where Avery was born and raised.

“Avery was a good kid. Avery was not – you can’t make him out to be anything bad because he wasn’t,” Connie Brown, Avery’s aunt said.

Witnesses say they heard three gunshots and saw a man leaving the bathroom and Avery laying on the ground in the bathroom screaming “he shot me, he shot me.” Police say the suspect left the scene in a black Saturn.

Metrohomicide Commander Tim Corbett says they have good information from about a dozen witnesses who were inside the bar and from surveillance video.

Avery’s family wants answers.

“He had to be following him. He followed him into the bathroom to fight him and shoot him," Connie Brown said. “According to his buddies, he said he had to go to the bathroom, so he got up and went to the bathroom, so the guy followed him into the bathroom.”

They don’t know why anyone would want to hurt Avery.

“I don’t know why someone would have ill-will towards Avery,” Dawn Brown, Avery’s cousin, said. “He’s always had a job he’s always worked for what he wants and our family is just dumbfounded right now.”

Police say they have a suspect in mind but have not made any arrests. Anyone with any information should call metro homicide at 574-235-5009.