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Suspect In Arden Fair Mall Fatal Shooting Makes First Court Appearance

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The suspect accused of killing two teen brothers at Arden Fair Mall appeared in court Wednesday.

james brothers
Shooting victims Dewayne James Jr. (left) and Sa'Quan Reed-James (right).

Damario Beck, 18, is facing murder charges in the Black Friday shooting. Police say Beck opened fire following a verbal altercation with Dewayne James Jr., 19, and Sa'Quan Reed-James, 17.

Police say that based on preliminary evidence, the shooting was caused by a verbal altercation between two groups of people who had previous run-ins, according to a Sacramento Police Department statement. But the family of the victims denies that the two parties knew each other.

READ MORE: Teen Arrested In Arden Fair Mall Black Friday Shooting That Killed 2 Other Teens

More arrests could be coming in the case.

According to the family, the brothers who were killed had just moved from Lousiana to Sacramento to escape violence, only to become victims of it. While family members are now hoping to see both change and justice, the teens' father says he has no ill will toward the alleged shooter.

Detectives are continuing their investigation and believe there are additional people involved in the incident and witnesses. They plan to release more information as the investigation progresses.

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