Published 5:37 pm Thursday, June 25, 2026
By Jordan Green
Two more suspects in a June 21 assault at a Longview bar surrendered to police Thursday.
Dejae Brown and Alana Mumphrey voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement, said LaDarian Brown, Longview police spokesman. He said they face charges of assault causing bodily injury. The two were being booked into jail late Thursday afternoon.
Another suspect in the case, Ciarrianne Fuller, was arrested Tuesday and faces the same charge. She was released from jail on a $20,000 bond.
The June 21 assault at Whiskey J’s bar has garnered significant online attention.
Sammie Lee, who described herself as a new Longview resident, posted on Facebook on June 21 that she was assaulted at Whiskey J’s by three “random women” who yelled “free Karmelo.” Lee said she had not interacted with those women in any way before the assault.
Lee posted photos on social media that showed her injuries. Her post has been shared widely and by prominent social media personalities.
The “free Karmelo” statement was in reference to Karmelo Anthony, a 19-year-old Black high school student from North Texas who murdered a white high school student, Austin Metcalf, at a track meet in April 2025. Anthony was found guilty and sentenced to 35 years in prison June 9. The case has drawn national attention.
Brown and Longview city officials hosted a press conference Wednesday to address the bar assault and related online attention, saying police will seek the truth and urging people not to let hatred and division divide the community.
Numerous people online have asked whether suspects in the case can be charged with a hate crime. Texas does not have a hate crime statute, however, Brown said, so such charges cannot be filed.
Under Texas law, punishments can be enhanced for crimes committed by prejudice or bias.
The investigation into the case is ongoing, Brown said.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Longview Police Department is investigating a recent assault at a Longview bar that has attracted viral online attention.
One arrest has been made in connection with the incident at Whiskey J’s bar, and the investigation remains active, Officer LaDarian Brown said during a Wednesday news conference. He was joined by Mayor Kristen Ishihara and fellow city leaders during the event at the police department.
Police released few details about the incident during the news conference and did not take questions from the media. However, Brown said the incident appears to be isolated.
Sammie Lee, who described herself as a new Longview resident, posted on Facebook on June 21 that she was assaulted at Whiskey J’s by three “random women” who yelled “free Karmelo.” Lee said she had not interacted with those women in any way before the assault.
Lee posted photos on social media that showed her injuries, Her post has been shared widely and by prominent social media personalities.
The “free Karmelo” statement was in reference to Karmelo Anthony, a 19-year-old Black high school student from North Texas who murdered a white high school student, Austin Metcalf, at a track meet in April 2025. Anthony was found guilty and sentenced to 35 years in prison June 9. The case has drawn national attention.
Brown told television station CBS19 that a suspect arrested in connection with the incident at Whiskey J’s is Ciarrianne Fuller, 21, of Longview.
She was booked Tuesday into the Gregg County Jail and released Wednesday on $20,000 bond, charged with assault causes bodily injury.
Brown said during Wednesday’s news conference that the incident has “understandably caused concern in the community” and that police will seek the truth during the investigation.
A June 21 Facebook post by Whiskey J’s acknowledged the incident and said it took place in the parking lot after the people involved had left the establishment. The bar’s operators are cooperating with police, and the incident was outside the range of the bar’s security cameras, according to the statement.
Whiskey J operators said they would not speculate about the incident and that it does not reflect the values of the establishment.
Brown said police are aware of “social media conversations concerning retaliation, division and attacks between members of our community.” Those statements are being reviewed by law enforcement, and there is no broader threat to the public at this time, he said.
“Any credible threat, any attempt to organize violence and any effort to intimidate members of this community will be taken seriously and investigated appropriately,” he said.
Brown said residents should not allow “rumors to outrun facts” or allow fear to cause more damage.
“Folks, this is not who we are,” he said. “The community can only thrive when there is unity among us. This department and this community believes in accountability, and we also believe in truth. This department wants the facts, works for the facts and works towards the facts, and then we govern ourselves according to the facts.”
Brown said people should not seek retaliation or let social media become the judge and jury in the matter. He cautioned people not to allow outside voices to stir “hate, confusion and division in our community.”
“The responsibility of keeping peace in Longview belongs to all of us,” he said.
Howdy! I’m Jordan Green, a Report for America corps member covering underserved communities in East Texas for the Longview News-Journal. I’m a native Okie and have been a newsman since 2017. Email me at jordan.green@news-journal.com or call me at 903-237-7743.
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