Funeral held for Dumfries man; Fredericksburg man charged with murder

WOODBRIDGE — A funeral for Curtiss Kamau Brown, of Dumfries, was held Monday after a Fredericksburg man was charged with his murder.

Brown, 25, was laid to rest at Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Roman Catholic Church in Washington D.C. at 11 a.m. A wake was held at the church at 10 a.m.

Brown was killed outside KC’s restaurant in Manassas on Oct. 11. Police obtained warrants for 21-year-old Ricky Lee Allen Kerns on Tuesday and then searched his home, at 3716 Lee Village Circle, and arrested him, said Manassas police Sgt. Tim Neumann.

Police allege he shot Brown early Sunday after a fight at the restaurant on Center Street. Kerns is charged with murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Word of his arrest came Thursday, the morning after Brown’s family held a candlelight vigil in the restaurant parking lot where he was shot. He was remembered as a loving son, a faithful friend and a proud father-to-be.

“I just want there to be justice for my brother,“ said Chionesu Brown, the victim’s 21-year-old brother. “It’s so sad that someone had to pick up a gun and shoot my brother, so sad.“
Witnesses said Brown was shot after a fight broke out in the parking lot, which happened after a rap concert inside the restaurant.

Around 50 people came to the vigil. Many of them wore shirts with the Brown’s name and his Aug. 14 birthdate printed on them, held candles and lined up one by one to share memories of a man many said was “with God now.“

“Curtiss was so excited when he heard he was going to become a dad, he already had all of the baby names picked out and I had to tell him to ‘calm down’ and to ‘wait until we at least tell your family first,’“ said 24-year-old Meg Henshall, who is expected to give birth to Brown’s child in May.

Brown graduated from Forest Park High School in Dumfries in 2003 and was working at a moving company, friends said.

Brown came to the concert Saturday to promote the artist, who was also a friend.

The artist, 26-year-old “CK Ray” Baker of Woodbridge, said Brown was in good spirits the night he was shot and hugged everyone in the restaurant before he left.

On his way out, Baker said a fight broke out while Brown was in the parking lot. Baker said his he didn’t believe his friend was involved in the fight and said he “has no idea” what led to his death.

Brown’s mother, Deborah, said she misses her son but harbors no hatred for his killer.

“If I saw the person who did this I couldn’t hate them, I probably wouldn’t say anything to them, but I certainly couldn’t hate them,“ said Deborah Brown.

Brown’s alleged killer was held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 17.

Uriah A. Kiser is a staff writer with Media General’s News & Messenger.