Darius Miles, 21, says he is ‘innocent’ in fatal shooting of mother, 23, killed in ‘random attack’

Basketball star Darius Miles shot dead a ‘beautiful’ mother in a ‘random attack’, with his mother claiming she had ‘refused to talk to him’.

Janae Harris, 23, was visiting her boyfriend and cousin at the University of Alabama when the group got into a “minor altercation” with Miles, 21, and Michael Lynn Davis, 20, in the early morning of Sunday.

The mother-of-one was in the passenger seat of a car when she was shot and killed, and Tuscaloosa police said Miles and Davis opened fire on her car.

Authorities say one of the suspects was struck by a bullet and wounded by the driver of the car carrying Janae, who told police it was in “self-defense.”

Both Miles, of Washington, DC, and Davis, of Maryland, have been charged with capital murder, which carries the possibility of the death penalty in Alabama.

Investigators say the two sides had had a minor argument on ‘The Strip,’ an area near the University campus, before the 1:45 am shooting occurred.

Janae’s mother, DeCarla Cotton, claims that Miles and Davis attacked her daughter because she refused to speak to them while she was away.

Posting online, she said: ‘He took my baby’s life because he wouldn’t talk to him! I will tell you that she was loved by everyone!

‘She was a beautiful young woman who loved her family and most of all her five year old son Kaine!

“She was just trying to enjoy her weekend with her cousin who attends the University of Alabama and her boyfriend.”

A GoFundMe Page it has been created for the young mother by her family, who paid tribute to her for having a ‘heart of gold’.

Terrifying footage of the incident has been posted online, with witnesses heard screaming after shots were heard.

Doorbell video captured 11 shots as two black cars sped by, and people could be heard yelling “Oh my God.”

It is unclear which shots in the video were fired by each party involved and how many each shooter fired.

Janae, the driver of her vehicle, and Davis do not appear to be affiliated with the University, according to police.

Tuscaloosa Police Capt. Jack Kennedy said at a press conference Sunday night: “At this time, it appears that the only motive was a minor altercation these individuals had with the victim when they were on the Strip.” .

They had no previous relationship.

He added that the driver of the vehicle, Janae, was a passenger who approached campus police near Bryant-Denny Stadium after the incident and said someone had “shot at the vehicle.”

Authorities say the driver admitted to shooting and added that he may have hit a suspect, who was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.

Police identified the two suspects after speaking to several witnesses and viewing video surveillance footage.

Miles cried as he was loaded into a police car from the Tuscaloosa County Jail and led out in handcuffs.

He yelled, “I swear I love you more than you can imagine,” though it’s unclear exactly who he was speaking to.

The junior forward was benched during the team’s game against Louisiana State University on Saturday, with the team announcing that he was sidelined for the season with an ankle injury.

Before that, he had been out of the team on a “personal matter” and manager Nate Oats had said on December 28 that he “wasn’t sure how long he would be out for.”

He went on to add: ‘We’re supporting him and trying to help him through it. you

That’s why he wasn’t on the bench tonight. It’s a personal matter, it’s not an injury and we’re not quite sure how long he’ll be out.

Miles’ biography has since been removed from the athletic department’s website and the university said he “has been removed from campus” and is no longer on the team.

A University spokesperson said: ‘The University of Alabama’s highest priority is the safety and well-being of the campus community.

“We are saddened by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim.”