Attorney: Teshaun Hightower's Brother Fired Gun in Self-Defense

An attorney representing Teshaun Hightower said the former Tulane basketball player's brother, Jeffrey, fired the gun that killed a man on April 8 in self-defense, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

Teshaun Hightower is being held in the Henry County Jail without bail after being arrested and charged with murder Saturday. His charges include felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and battery following an investigation into the fatal shooting.

"He's innocent. He didn't shoot anybody," Averick Walker, Teshaun Hightower's attorney, told ESPN. "It's sad that this detective sought to make him out to be a monster and he's not. When it's all said and done, it will come out in the wash that the person who did fire the gun shot the gun to protect Teshaun.

"Teshaun's brother actually fired the weapon and fired in self-defense. The victim came out of the house with a gun in his hand and turned his weapon toward Teshaun to shoot him. That's why the victim was shot himself."

The Henry County Police Department said the incident occurred at an apartment complex in Stockbridge, Ga., on the morning of April 8. In a Facebook post on Friday, the department named Teshaun and Jeffrey Hightower and four others as being involved in the homicide. ESPN reports five of the men were in custody on Monday and one man still hadn't been arrested.

Tulane dismissed Hightower from the team on Sunday.

Hightower spent his first two seasons at Georgia before transferring to Tulane prior to this season. A native of Lithonia, Georgia, he played in 30 games for Tulane in 2019-20, averaging team-high 15.9 points per game. He had declared for the NBA draft on April 18, 10 days after Long was killed.