MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP MI, More than four years after a deadly shooting on US-31 in Muskegon Township, a third suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the case, authorities said.
Jamerius Brown is accused of shooting 22-year-old Khalid Burt while Burt was driving on US-31 on July 29, 2021. Brown was arrested Monday and has been charged with open murder in the long-running investigation.
Muskegon Township Police Chief Patrick VanDommelen said the incident initially appeared to be a traffic crash when officers received a 911 call that afternoon. Upon arriving at the scene, investigators determined that the driver of a silver or gray Jeep had allegedly fired shots into Burt’s vehicle, killing him.
“The victim was a father. He was somebody’s son,” VanDommelen said.
With Brown’s arrest, all three suspects connected to the shooting are now in custody. The other suspects include Treshon Wyrick and Lenar Branch. Police believe the case has ties to gang-related activity, which has been reflected in the charges filed against the suspects.
According to the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office, Brown is charged with open murder and a gang felony. Wyrick faces charges of open murder, gang felony, and felony firearm, with his trial scheduled for late March after he was previously located out of state. Branch has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony firearm charges.
VanDommelen said investigators had been actively searching for Brown since the shooting occurred. A warrant for his arrest was authorized in November 2024, and he was taken into custody earlier this week.
“I made a promise to the family right away that we would never stop working this case until we have a conclusion to it,” VanDommelen said. “Now that we have all three in custody, it’s a huge sigh of relief, but there’s still more work to be done.”
