A 19-year-old Memphis man is facing an attempted first-degree murder charge after investigators say he lay in wait outside a Raleigh home and opened fire on his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, who was simply stepping outside to grab a package. No one was hit by the gunfire, but detectives say the case reveals a chilling pattern of surveillance and lies.
Verlente Brown was booked into the Shelby County Jail on Thursday on a charge of possessing a firearm during the commission or attempted commission of a dangerous felony, according to WREG. He now also faces the attempted first-degree murder charge tied to a shooting Monday in the 4400 block of Grand Cedar Lane in Raleigh, a neighborhood in Memphis.
According to the station's report, the victim had just walked to his front porch to retrieve a package when someone opened fire on him. He ran back inside his home, then fled out the back and through the backyard before peeking around a neighbor's house, where he says he spotted a black sedan parked out front. From there, he ran to a friend's house for safety.
Bullet Holes and a Vehicle Tied to the Scene
Detectives who responded to the scene found multiple bullet holes in the victim's house, the same report notes. Investigators said they were also able to place Brown's vehicle in the immediate area during the time frame of the shooting using law enforcement databases.
The case against Brown appears to hinge heavily on an account from his own girlfriend. Per the same account, she told deputies she had visited her ex-boyfriend that afternoon, and that Brown later texted her asking where she was. She said she told him she was at her cousin's house, but he did not believe her.
Text Messages Allegedly Set the Ambush in Motion
The girlfriend said that around 7:30 p.m., Brown texted her again, this time asking her to come outside and requesting that her cousin walk out with her as well, the station's report states. She told investigators that she then saw Brown and an unknown man standing near a fence across the street, and that Brown was holding a black AR pistol.
Shortly after, the shooting happened. Investigators also said they were able to place Brown near the victim's home through electronic surveillance, per the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, according to the article.
Case Unfolds Amid Citywide Crime Declines
The shooting comes as Memphis has reported broad reductions in violent crime, though those figures are not tied to this specific case or neighborhood. City dashboard data cited by WREG showed 66 murders reported so far this year, down from 120 during the same period last year, along with a 30% decrease in non-fatal shootings between 2023 and 2025. Memphis Allies executive director Susan Deason told the outlet the city has seen a 45% decrease in its murder rate over the last year, following what officials have described as the worst year on record for violent crime in Memphis in 2023.
The Memphis Police Department has pointed to similar trends. The department reported fewer than 200 murders in 2025, marking the first time the city has reached that milestone since 2019, according to a Memphis Police Department statement. The department also recorded 643 shooting incidents in 2025, a 38% decrease from the year before, and said nearly 500 fewer Memphians were injured in shootings last year.
Police credited enforcement operations last spring with 370 arrests, including 92 gang members, and the recovery of 59 firearms, along with enhanced interstate enforcement that contributed to nearly a 50% reduction in interstate shootings. The department has said its focus for 2026 is to sustain those gains through continued focused enforcement.
None of that citywide data establishes any connection to the Raleigh shooting itself, and investigators have not released additional details on Brown's current court status beyond the charges and booking confirmed this week.
