A 17-year-old was shot in the back along West Highway 90 in Chipley Wednesday evening, sparking a manhunt that stretched into the night before ending with an arrest in nearby Cottondale. The victim was rushed to a local hospital for treatment after the gunfire, which left the highway blocked in both directions as investigators worked the scene.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and Chipley Police Department opened a joint investigation after officials said a call about the shooting came in around 6:55 p.m. Wednesday, according to WJHG. The station reported that the teenage victim had been shot in the back with a handgun before being transported for treatment.
Suspect Described as Fleeing on Foot
In the immediate aftermath, authorities said the shooter had fled the scene on foot and was believed to be heading west, leaving him at large as deputies fanned out across the area. An initial description, reported by myPanhandle, characterized the suspect as a young Black man standing about 6 feet 1 inch tall with a medium build. The outlet's report stated plainly that the unidentified suspect remained at large as the search continued.
With the gunman unaccounted for, law enforcement asked the public to remain alert and avoid the immediate area while the investigation played out, a message echoed in a media release posted by the Washington County Sheriff's Office on Facebook. The sheriff's office also urged anyone with information about the suspect's whereabouts to come forward and said it would release additional details as the investigation progressed.
Arrest Reported Hours Later in Cottondale
By the time the search concluded, the suspect was no longer unnamed. A later report from the same station identified him as 18-year-old Bralen Isaiah Bryant, saying he was arrested at his home on Tendell Road in Cottondale around midnight. Bryant is now facing an attempted-murder charge in connection to the shooting of the 17-year-old, per that report.
A separate editor's note attached to the myPanhandle report confirmed that the suspect had been apprehended, aligning with the account of an arrest following the hours-long search. Highway 90 had been blocked off in both directions while the investigation was underway, according to the reporting, though it is not established whether the roadway has since reopened.
Several details remain unresolved as of this reporting. The victim's identity and current medical condition have not been established, and no court disposition, plea, or update on Bryant's custody status has been reported. The Washington County Sheriff's Office said it would share further information about the case as it becomes available.
