A Florida business owner has been convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting the son of a local high school football coach. The incident occurred in Key West, Florida, where Garrett Hughes, 21, was shot and killed by Lloyd Preston Brewer III, 60, following a confrontation outside a small mall.

The altercation took place after both individuals had watched the Super Bowl at the Conch Town Liquor & Lounge bar within the mall. CCTV footage captured Hughes exiting the bar shirtless and urinating on a wall near the car park. Brewer approached Hughes, leading to a verbal confrontation, after which Brewer returned with his hand on his firearm, claiming he acted in self-defense as he believed Hughes was reaching for a weapon.

Despite Brewer’s assertion of self-defense, a jury found him guilty of premeditated murder after deliberating for five hours at the Monroe County Circuit Court. Witnesses and security footage contradicted Brewer’s account of the events. Consequently, Brewer now faces a potential life sentence in prison.

Chief Assistant Monroe County State Attorney Joseph Mansfield stated that Brewer had the opportunity to disengage but instead chose to escalate the situation by returning armed and using deadly force. Major Crimes Assistant State Prosecutor Colleen Dunne emphasized Brewer’s conscious decision to turn a confrontation into fatal violence, thanking the witnesses for their courage in testifying and ensuring justice for Garrett Hughes.

Brewer’s lawyer, Jerome Ballarotto, indicated plans to appeal the jury’s decision based on alleged lack of proper instructions from the judge.