The three white men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery have been found guilty of murder.
Gregory McMichael, 65; his son Travis McMichael, 35; and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, all faced trial together after being accused of shooting the 25-year-old, who they assumed was fleeing a burglary as he ran through a mostly white neighborhood near Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020.
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski said the three men wrongly assumed Arbery was up to no good before the murder.
She said in her closing arguments:
“They assumed he must have committed some crime that day. He’s running real fast down the street, right?”
The charges carry a minimum sentence of life in prison.
President Biden has spoken out about the verdict, saying it reflects the ‘justice system doing its job’.
In a written statement, the President said:
“While the guilty verdicts reflect our justice system doing its job, that alone is not enough,”
“Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin.”
Vice President Kamala Harris said the guilty verdicts “send an important message, but the fact remains that we still have work to do.”
She continued:
“Ahmaud Arbery was a son. He was a brother. He was a friend. His life had meaning. We will not forget him. We honor him best by continuing the fight for justice.”
