The alleged victim in Antonio Brown's second-degree attempted murder case in Miami "does not wish to participate" in the prosecution, according to a statement from his lawyer on Wednesday. Brown's attorney said he hopes the state of Florida drops the case, stating Brown was innocent from the beginning. The incident involved gunfire outside an amateur boxing match in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood in May 2025. Brown, 38, spent nearly six months in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before being extradited by U.S. marshals. He pleaded not guilty and was arraigned in November, then filed a motion to dismiss based on Florida's "stand your ground" law in December.

The alleged victim, Zul-Qawain Nantambu, "has made the deeply personal decision to forgive Antonio Brown for the events that occurred in Miami in May 2025," his lawyer, Richard L. Cooper, stated. "For Mr. Nantambu, forgiveness does not diminish the seriousness of what occurred," Cooper said. "It means refusing to allow anger or resentment to dictate how he moves forward." Brown's lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, responded, "We remain hopeful that the court will grant that motion [to dismiss] and bring this prosecution to an end."

Brown faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, with a mandatory minimum of 20 years under Florida law. Eiglarsh told ESPN he did not expect the state to immediately drop the charges, noting that efforts to schedule a stand your ground hearing were hindered by delays in arranging depositions from key witnesses. Nantambu's statement indicated he is a devout Muslim whose faith contributed to his decision to forgive Brown, expressing "his desire to move forward in peace."

According to the stand your ground motion, Brown was trying to get to his car for safety after Nantambu had attacked him. But police said Brown punched Nantambu in the face and, along with two others, continued the attack. Nantambu walked away, according to police description of security footage. Brown then "chases him down with a gun and shoots at him at point blank range," according to a prosecutor. Police added that video from social media showed Brown with a gun in his hand near Nantambu, and two gunshots followed. The motion indicated Brown "reasonably feared" Nantambu was armed and made an "aggressive movement" toward him, so he fired two "warning shots," intentionally aiming away. Brown also said Nantambu took the weapon after a struggle and left with it. After returning to Miami, Brown was released on $25,000 bail and placed on house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor.