| Updated: 7/19/2012 5:59 pm |
Published: 7/19/2012 9:04 am
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Tulsa police capture a man they believe to have been the gunman in the recent Best Buy shootings. The suspect is a former East Central football player and convicted felon. Two men died Saturday afternoon including a dad shopping with his daughter.
Willie Wise faces two murder complaints. Police arrested him during a traffic stop Thursday morning near 23rd and Jackson. Police tell FOX23 they received information from Shania Craven which led them to Wise. Craven is being held for accessory to murder. Also believed to be connected with the shooting is Jeremy Foster. He was recently released from prison and has been arrested for two complaints of first degree murder.
Shortly after their arrests, FOX23 spoke with the family of Wesley Brown. He was the bystander that was killed. They say they are overjoyed that the man believed to be his killer is now off the street and behind bars.
"It alleviates a lot of fear. We're still as a family absolutely heartbroken and that can't be changed,” says his step-daughter, Erin Harper.
Harper says she got a call early Thursday morning after the arrest of Willie Wise and Jeremy Foster.
"I jumped up and down and was really happy and I immediately called my mom, and then broke down sobbing. That's kind of my reaction,” she says.
As the family struggled to make sense of why their father was taken so soon, a tree stands in their front yard decorated with teal colored ribbons. That was Wesley’s favorite color.
"Seeing teal ribbons while driving around Tulsa and having people wear them on their lapel, you know it's just moving,” says Harper.
The family’s focus is now on his young daughter who was with him in Best Buy the day he died.
"That's the worst part for me. I mean it's all bad there's really no worst part about it. She's just a loving little girl and you know who needs lots of hugs and kisses,” says Harper.
Tulsa police believe Wise has ties to area gangs, but just a couple of years ago he was an all district football player on East Central’s state finalist team in 2010.
Gangs recruiting teens like this is a huge problem in Tulsa where they commit a majority of the violent crime.
“We have a larger organized gang unit than Oakland, California. We are putting a tremendous amount of resources towards gang violence,” says Tulsa police chief, Chuck Jordan.
Although they believe they have all the suspects in this case in custody, police are still asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers. That number is 918-596-COPS.
