AL - Ryan Brooks, 19, fatally shot by homeowner, Montgomery, 3 Dec 2014

Court documents are shedding more light on the situation that led to three Faulkner University student-athletes being charged with murder in the death of a fourth student-athlete while all were allegedly in the act of committing a robbery.

The Montgomery County District Court affidavits indicate Ryan Brooks, of Chelsea, and other Faulkner athletes including Marshall Wall III and Ronnie Williams, both of Loxley, and Tabias Russell, of Alexander City, all 19, committed second degree robbery at the residence of Franklin Williams.

Williams fired a shot in self-defense, according to the documents, injuring Brooks. Police and medics responded to the home in the 5900 block of Woodmere Boulevard around 7:35 p.m. Wednesday and pronounced Brooks dead on the scene.

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Brooks, Williams and Russell were all on Faulkner's junior varsity football team. Wall was a member of the university's soccer program...

Stories on social media suggested that the death was a result of fraternity hazing, but Faulkner vice president of student services Jean-Noel Thompson said there is no evidence to support those claims.

All four students were residents of the Faulkner campus.

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New details of possible drug involvement emerge in the off-site killing of a Faulkner student after President Billy Hilyer of Faulkner University made a statement Friday...

“In the course of the robbery attempt, Brooks was shot by Williams in self-defense and was pronounced dead at the scene. According to court documents, Brooks, Wall, Williams and Russell were attempting to steal illegal drugs,” the statement read.

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Faulkner students Marshall Wall, Ronnie Williams and Tabias Russell stood before Judge Troy Massey during a preliminary hearing in district court, where Massey concluded there was probable cause that the trio committed the crime they were charged with. The case will now be heard by a grand jury, who will determine whether or not the case should go to trial in circuit court...

Naquin said that based on evidence and statements given by the defendants, Brooks was shot by Franklin Williams after he charged at him from a hidden location wearing a mask and carrying a hunting knife on his belt. Naquin said surveillance footage and Williams' statement described two suspects fleeing the scene in a white car after shots were fired.

Naquin said Wall's statement was that the plan entailed him luring Franklin Williams out of the house while Brooks and Russell rushed him. Ronnie Williams was to wait in the car and act as the getaway driver. Naquin said the plan changed with Wall realized the intended target had a gun.

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Wall told police that the homeowner was armed with a gun, and that he attempted to inform his friends waiting in the bushes. The text didn't go through.

Naquin said Wall and Russell ran on foot when the shots were fired. They met back up with Williams and returned to Faulkner University, leaving Brooks behind...

Naquin said there were no witnesses to the actual shooting, but surveillance cameras at a police officer's house across the street captured much of the robbery.

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Three former Faulkner University students were recently indicted on murder charges in the December 2014 death of fellow student and football player Ryan Brooks.

Brooks, 19, of Chelsea, was fatally shot by a homeowner on Dec. 3, 2014 when he and three other students attempted a home invasion robbery, according to police.

Marshall Wall, 20, of Atmore, Ronnie Williams, 21, of Loxley, and Tabias Russell, 20, of Alexander City, were indicted last week by a Montgomery County grand jury, court documents filed today show. They remain out of jail on $75,000 bond.

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Court records claim the four former students were attempting to steal marijuana from a residence located in the 5900 block of Woodmere Boulevard in Montgomery on the evening of Dec. 3, 2014.

The homeowner, Franklin Williams, also a Faulkner student, was at the residence at the time and shot Brooks in self-defense, according to police.

According to Alabama law, Brooks' suspected co-conspirators can be charged with murder because they were allegedly committing a robbery at the time of the fatal shooting.

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