Johntae Collier and Eric Dodds, an influencer couple also known by their hundreds of thousands of social media followers as @eandjgang, are now under investigation for murder.
Police began looking into the two TikTok stars, both 23 years old, after a series of eyewitness accounts connected them to the shooting of 28-year old Dakota Bradshaw.
Dodds posted a video online to their 800,000-plus followers claiming Collier, who was arrested first, was innocent and doing okay. However, Dodds himself was arrested only days later.
Despite witnesses connecting their vehicles to the crime scene, both Collier and Dodds maintain their innocence. Could this all be a misunderstanding?
Or is there more to this story than meets the eye? The Shade Room investigates…
Fatal Shooting Shakes Up Small Georgia Town, Witnesses Come Forward With Information
The shooting death of Bradshaw took place on August 1 in the little town of Rossville, Georgia, right on the Tennessee border, with a population of only 4,000.
Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said he received a 911 call about shots fired at a residence, where authorities discovered Bradshaw clinging to life from gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations later secured a murder warrant after Wilson says witnesses started sharing their account of what happened.
That led to the first arrest of Johntae Collier on August 8.
“So for the past couple days, I’ve been seeing in the media a lot of things being said about John, ya’ll are concerned about John, (asking) is he okay? Has he done anything to someone? The answer is no, he has not done anything to no one,” Eric Dodds said in his final video posted to TikTok on August 16.
Suspects Are Boyfriends, Social Media Influencers With Nearly A Million TikTok Followers
Collier and Dodds were boyfriends and influencers who shared over 800,000 followers on the popular social media app at the time of their arrest.
“Ya’ll know John,” Eric could be heard saying in his last video on TikTok before his own arrest. “He’s the most free-spirited, caring person that I know.”
Just one day after Dodds’ last TikTok post, he was arrested himself in connection to the murder.
“Early on we began working with witnesses and people who lived in the community, and we were able to develop leads that within about 8 to 12 hours put us on a track that ultimately led us to (those) two individuals,” Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing two individuals who bared resemblance to Collier and Dodds, who police then started a manhunt to find.
Suspects’ Two Vehicles Reportedly Used In Connection To The Crime
Their two vehicles, a Dodge Ram and Dodge Challenger which had often been prominently featured in their TikTok videos, were also reportedly used in connection to the crime.
Bradshaw was allegedly standing by a window inside of a home when he was fatally shot. The suspects, according to police, were parked in the driveway before they fled in a red pickup truck resembling the couple’s red Dodge Ram.
Police instigated a search warrant over 100 miles away in Huntsville, Alabama, where Collier was arrested. He has since waived extradition and is back in Walker County.
Police said they don’t know why the couple drove so far away to allegedly commit the crime, and have not yet revealed a motive.
In Dodds final TikTok video before his arrest, he told fans and followers that the pair would be back together making videos in no time.
Family Of Victim Express Grief On Social Media, Demand Justice For Dakota Bradshaw
Meanwhile, the family of Dakota Bradshaw took to Facebook to express their grief in the wake of his death.
“Well, I lay my baby down to rest yesterday,” wrote Bradshaw’s mother, Tracy Bankston. “This is a pain that no mother should ever have to go through. Dakota, I am not sure why this happened to you son, but baby boy I promise you there is no stopping your mom til every one of these people that are involved in this pay for what they’ve done to you. You know I love you baby, with all my heart.”
Authorities said while they’re still unsure of who exactly pulled the trigger, they are very much aware of the couple’s online presence.
Sheriff Wilson went on to say that the investigation is still very much ongoing. He asked anyone else with information regarding the crime to come forward.
TSR Investigates explores cold cases and special interest news stories underrepresented in mainstream media.
