'Missing a big piece of our puzzle': Arrests made in shooting of 18-year-old in Lawrence

Brodie Brown promised his younger brother he would take him for a ride when he got his first diesel pickup. They planned to spew plumes of black smoke and do burnouts together in the white Ford F-250.

But 18-year-old Bryce Brown’s first ride wasn’t from the passenger seat. It was at his funeral.

Brodie Brown, 22, followed the procession to the cemetery, carrying his brother's casket in the back of his pickup. He did a few burnouts and blew some smoke.

“Bryce got his wish,” their mother Candy Brown said.

The day Brodie Brown got his pickup was the day Bryce Brown was killed. On May 26, 2023, police responded to a report of a person shot at an apartment complex on Louisville Drive in Lawrence. They declared Bryce Brown deceased after finding him in his Ford Focus with a gunshot wound, court records show.

Four people were arrested in connection with Bryce Brown's killing in mid-July, according to court documents. Lawrence Police Department has charged and arrested Derek Reasor and Quayvon George, both 16, for their alleged involvement. They face murder charges and are classified as adults. Two other juveniles tied to the case are not being charged in adult court.

Bryce Brown a hard worker who 'never met a stranger'

Bryce Brown, of Staunton and Danville, was a hard worker who was “doing well for himself,” his father Chris Brown said. He was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 841. He worked for Poindexter Excavating and the family business, Brown Brothers Excavating. He loved running the scraper, “one of the hardest jobs an operator can have,” his father said.

A crane towered above the cars lined up outside the funeral home for Bryce Brown’s procession, carrying the US flag. A semi-truck from a local dairy farm trailed behind the procession, blocking traffic from cutting through.

“It was pretty surprising how an 18-year-old made such an impact,” Candy Brown said.

His parents described him as honest and forthright, they said he also had a big heart and “never met a stranger.” Candy Brown remembers when he paid for and filled a stranger’s gas tank because she couldn’t afford it.

Bryce Brown graduated from Whites High School in Wabash in 2021, a year ahead of his peers. He received his welding certificate from Ivy Tech, learned how to be a barista and obtained a food handler certification.

His family always knew when he arrived home because they could hear his music blasting in the driveway. Whether it was rap or country, he loved to sing. Especially in the shower.

While he worked in the dirt, his parents said he was particular about cleanliness. Chris Brown would “always get on him” about using up all the hot water.

He was a fashionista, his grandmother Theresa said. He loved collecting shoes, clothes and Gucci belts.

Bryce Brown never left the house or hung up the phone without saying “I love you.”

“It didn’t matter if he was by himself or if he had friends around, he would still tell you that,” Candy Brown said. “That’s a big thing for that age. There’s just not many kids that would do that, they’d be too embarrassed.”

When Bryce Brown died, his family was left “missing a big piece of our puzzle,” Candy Brown said. It was three days before his birthday.

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While court records detail witnesses describing a drug deal turned robbery, Bryce Brown’s family asks people not to draw conclusions before all of the facts about the case are revealed.

“There (are) two sides to every story,” Candy Brown said. “Nobody knew him like us.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bryce Brown, 18, fatally shot in Lawrence 'never met a stranger'