By Catherine Ingoldsby, Justice Coalition Student Intern
Bryant Grund was working toward a better future for himself and his family. The 31-year-old Uber driver had been working late-night shifts to help support his family while preparing to move to Georgia for a new job with Samsonite. During the late evening hours of October 6, 2023, Grund’s plans were drastically ended.
Around the hour of 11:45 p.m., Jacksonville police responded to a report of gunfire on Kylan Drive near Moncrief Road on the city’s Northside. When police officers arrived, they found Grund as well as 18-year-old Antonio Tillie Jr. fatally shot inside Grund’s Mini Cooper.
Investigators later ruled that Tillie was the intended target of the shooting. Grund, however, appeared to have been an innocent bystander who became caught in a violent dispute that had nothing to do with him.
According to investigators, Grund had been driving Tillie to meet Diamond Harris, who lured Tillie to the location under the pretense of a date. Authorities later determined that the meeting was connected to a planned attack against Tillie.
The shooting was linked to gang-related activity and ongoing disputes described as “gang beef and issues.” Tillie was believed to have a $20,000 bounty on his head, making him the focus of the attack. Grund was not the intended target, but he was killed alongside Tillie when the shooting occurred.
The investigation eventually led authorities to Ju’Quan Mills, who pleaded guilty in connection to the killings. Jimmy Robinson has also been arrested and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder for his role in the killings.
Ju’Quan Mills, the trigger man, was found guilty of killing both Grund and Tillie. But prosecutors determined that Mills did not conduct the attack alone. Jimmy Robinson was also involved and was identified as a lookout and getaway driver. Robinson also provided one of the rifles used in the shooting.
Diamond Harris, identified as Mills’ girlfriend, was also found guilty as an accessory in the crime. Investigators searched through the suspects’ phones and discovered chilling messages between Harris and Mills discussing the plan to lure Tillie to the location to kill him.
While the shooting was intended to target one person, it claimed the life of another innocent victim, Bryant Grund, who was only trying to make an honest living for himself and his family. For Grund’s family, his death was not simply another case of tragic gun violence in Jacksonville. It was the sudden loss of a son, brother and provider who was working to build a better life.
The deaths of Grund and Tillie were connected to the same shooting, but their circumstances were dramatically different. Tillie was identified as the intended target of a violent dispute, while Grund was simply doing his job when he became caught in the attack. This case serves as a reminder of how the consequences of violence can extend far beyond the intended target. A dispute involving one person can affect families, communities and innocent people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Multiple family members described Grund as a “good-hearted” person who wanted to improve his circumstances and provide for the people he loved. Grund was the primary breadwinner for his family. He lived with his mother, Heidi Doyle, and his two younger siblings in a hotel room while they waited to make their move to a better life in Georgia.
The family had been depending on Grund’s income as they worked toward a more stable future. His new job represented an opportunity for Grund to improve their financial situation and to help his family establish a new life. Instead, his death left his family facing both emotional and financial uncertainty. Along with the grief came difficult questions about how the family would manage without the income Grund had provided.
Overcome by grief, Heidi Doyle contacted the Justice Coalition in search of assistance. Executive Director Robert Bracewell helped guide Doyle and her family towards a better future by making a public plea, bringing awareness to Doyle’s family on television. The plea helped bring awareness to situations such as Doyle’s and how the community can help those affected by violent crimes.
The Justice Coalition helps advocate and pave the way in helping victims like Bryant Grund of serious and violent crimes. The three persons charged in the tragic shooting of Grund and Tillie are scheduled to be sentenced in the upcoming weeks to finally get proper justice for the victims. This would not have been possible without the guidance of the Justice Coalition and the help of the community. Bryant Grund’s family continues to navigate this challenging time but hopes their story will help other victims of violent crime going through similar challenges.
Read the complete September 2026 edition of the Victims’ Advocate (PDF)