Alleged Victim Forgives Antonio Brown, Says He Won't Take Part in Miami Prosecution

The alleged victim in Antonio Brown’s attempted-murder case in Miami has decided to forgive the former NFL wide receiver and does not want to take part in the prosecution, according to ESPN’s Sept. 9 report on a statement from the man’s lawyer.

ESPN reported that Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, through attorney Richard L. Cooper, “has made the deeply personal decision to forgive Antonio Brown for the events that occurred in Miami in May 2025.” That is a notable development in a high-profile felony case, but it does not by itself end the prosecution. Criminal cases are brought by the state, not the alleged victim, and prosecutors can proceed if they believe other evidence is sufficient.

Brown is charged in Miami-Dade County with second-degree attempted murder. His defense is already seeking to have the case dismissed under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, a self-defense statute that can shield a defendant from prosecution in some circumstances. ESPN reported Brown’s lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, said, “We remain hopeful that the court will grant that motion [to dismiss] and bring this prosecution to an end.” Eiglarsh also said Brown “maintains that, under the circumstances presented that day, he had a lawful right to defend himself.”

According to ESPN’s report on Cooper’s statement, Nantambu is a devout Muslim and his faith contributed to his decision. Cooper said, “For Mr. Nantambu, forgiveness does not diminish the seriousness of what occurred. It means refusing to allow anger or resentment to dictate how he moves forward.”

The criminal case stems from a shooting outside a celebrity/amateur boxing event in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood on May 16-17, 2025. Public reporting on the arrest warrant says prosecutors allege Brown chased Nantambu and fired two shots at point-blank range, and that a bullet grazed Nantambu’s neck. Brown has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have argued he acted in self-defense and that he fired “warning shots.”

Brown’s attorneys filed their motion to dismiss in December 2025. The case had already drawn intense attention because Brown, a former NFL receiver, was extradited from Dubai to the United States in November 2025, according to prior reporting. He was later released on $25,000 bond with GPS monitoring and house arrest conditions.

Prior local reporting said a jury trial was set for Jan. 11, 2027. As of the reporting available Wednesday, there was no public response from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to Nantambu’s statement.

Whether Nantambu ultimately cooperates could still matter practically at trial. But his refusal to participate does not require prosecutors to drop the case if they conclude they can prove it through other evidence. Public reporting has indicated investigators collected surveillance and social media video, shell casings and forensic evidence — the kinds of material the state can rely on even without a cooperative victim.