People v. Brown CA4/1

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The day before the crime spree, on July 2, Brown exchanged several text messages with the mother of his infant daughter. Brown was upset about not getting to see the child and was, at times, threatening towards the child’s mother. Unable to see his daughter, Brown decided to “block[ ] things out” by “partaking in some drug use.” He got into an altercation with an acquaintance and vandalized the individual’s car. Not long after, at about 3:40 a.m. on July 3, Brown stole a car at gunpoint, in what would be the first in a series of carjackings. Brown met up with a female, Rolaena Blunt, and the two continued to use drugs over the next two days. Brown also continued to argue with his child’s mother. He made additional threats and eventually, on July 5, appeared at the home where his daughter and her mother lived, hoping to see the child one more time before leaving town. They were not home but Brown shot at other individuals and a dog that were in the home. Brown then went to another house where he thought the mother might be, and fired shots there as well. At that point, Brown was concerned that he “just did two shootings” and needed to leave town…