Alleged victim forgives Antonio Brown, won’t participate in attempted murder case

The alleged victim in Antonio Brown’s second-degree attempted murder case in Miami has forgiven the former NFL star wide receiver and “does not wish to participate” in his prosecution, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu opted to “forgive” Brown, citing his Muslim beliefs as a primary reason that he had decided against further participation, according to his lawyer, Richard L. Cooper.

“After considerable reflection, prayer, and consultation with his family and counsel, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu has made the deeply personal decision to forgive Antonio Brown for the events that occurred in Miami in May 2025,” Cooper said in a statement.

“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 incident involving Brown and Nantambu occurred outside an amateur celebrity boxing match in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood on May 17 of last year. Both sides agree Brown fired a gun during the altercation. Brown was not arrested at the scene, but police issued an arrest warrant shortly thereafter.

After spending almost six months in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Brown was extradited by U.S. Marshals and arrived in Miami in early November, where he was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.

In December, Brown, via his lawyer Mark Eiglarsh, filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing Florida’s “stand your ground” law. The law lists “home protection; use or threatened use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm” among the legal reasons for justifiable use of force.

According to the motion, Brown was attempting to get to his car after Nantambu attacked him.

“Brown again reasonably feared death or great bodily harm,” the motion read in part. “In response, he fired two warning shots, intentionally aiming away from Nantambu to ensure he would not be struck. Brown hoped the warning shots would deter Nantambu’s aggression, allowing Brown to safely reach his vehicle and leave the scene.”

However, according to a police description of security footage, Brown “chases him down with a gun and shoots at him at point-blank range,” according to a prosecutor cited by ESPN.

As previously reported, a social media video taken at the event on May 17 depicted Brown in an altercation with several people before appearing to show Brown brandishing a black pistol as he pursued one of the people in the video.

On Wednesday, Eiglarsh released a statement saying, “Antonio would like to make his own position equally clear: he forgives Mr. Nantambu. Antonio wishes Mr. Nantambu and his family peace and holds no hatred or resentment toward him.

“From the very beginning, Mr. Brown has maintained his innocence. He did not commit attempted second-degree murder, and he maintains that, under the circumstances presented that day, he had a lawful right to defend himself.”

Nantambu’s desire to no longer participate in the case does not mean it will be dropped. Brown faces up to 30 years in prison, with a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence, if convicted. Eiglarsh does not believe the state of Florida will immediately drop the charges.

“It’s up to the state what they’re going to do with the case,” Eiglarsh told The Athletic. “It’s the people of the state of Florida versus Antonio Brown, and not necessarily (Nantambu). As a practical matter, without his testimony, they’re going to have a real tough time winning a stand your ground motion and winning a trial.”

Eiglarsh said he is still seeking depositions from several eyewitnesses who were at the event.

Asked how unusual it was for an alleged victim in such a case to elect not to participate, Eiglarsh said, “It’s common for that to happen on less serious charges like domestic violence, where the husband and wife get back together; we see that more often, but not on serious cases like this. The victim gave his reasons for doing so.”

Brown was a seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and Super Bowl champion in his 12 seasons in the NFL. Brown played primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, alongside a brief stint with the Oakland Raiders, where he didn’t appear in a regular-season game. He was named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team after setting a league record with six straight seasons of 100-plus receptions (2013-2018).

“We remain hopeful that the court will grant that motion and bring this prosecution to an end,” Eiglarsh’s statement read. “At the same time, Mr. Brown is grateful for Mr. Nantambu’s decision to forgive him and, most importantly, for his stated decision not to participate in the prosecution or see Mr. Brown imprisoned.”