Derrick Murphy, Hoover’s lone black city council member, has called for state authorities to release information and footage regarding the deadly shooting of Emantic Fitzgerald “EJ” Bradford inside the Riverchase Galleria.

Murphy, along with Mayor Frank Brocato, Police Chief Nick Derzis, and other city leaders made the announcement Thursday morning during a press briefing at City Hall.

ALEA has been asked to release information about the shooting by noon Monday, Murphy said. If ALEA does not, the city might release it themselves, Murphy said.

“I’m making a request to ALEA to allow the City of Hoover to release the limited information we have. We urge ALEA to approve this request no later than noon on Monday. Chief Derzis and I have also discussed a follow up plan in the event we don’t receive the information by Monday at noon, the chief will decide whether to release the limited information on his own,” Murphy said.

ALEA has not immediately responded to Murphy’s request.

The shooting happened at 9:52 p.m. Thanksgiving night on the second floor of the mall. Hoover police said an argument between several young men led to gunfire. When it ended, 18-year-old Brian Wilson was injured – with at least one gunshot wound to the abdomen - as was bystander 12-year-old Molly Davis, who took a bullet to the back. Bradford, 21, was shot by Hoover police and pronounced dead on the scene.

Murphy said today his family was in the mall at the time of the shooting.

“When I received a text from my wife and daughter on last Thursday stating that they were hiding because there was shooting, being a councilman didn’t matter. I was terrified, I prayed because that was all I could do,” Murphy said.

“Praying is the least we can do for the Bradford family. Now, I can’t imagine what the Bradford family went through, especially considering how they found out they lost their son. Through all this the Bradford family were still willing to sit down and talk with us. They have our love. They have our prayers.”

Authorities initially identified Bradford as the man who fired the shots that injured his friend and Molly. Hoover police later retracted that statement, saying Bradford likely did not fire those shots. They have not yet said who did.

The shooting – and the city’s handling of the aftermath – has sparked outrage and protests. Activists have been demanding that officials apologize to Bradford’s family for identifying him as the mall gunman. That apology took place earlier this week.

The protesters also want any body camera and mall surveillance footage released to show how the shooting happened. The State Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe and has previously state they will not release any information while the investigation is ongoing.

Murphy, quoting his grandmother, said, “We’ve got to have some tough love conversations. They’re never easy, sometimes they are painful. But we have to have them. We must have them. We’re going to have one today.

"Two nights ago, protesters exercised their constitutional right to peacefully protest outside the mayor’s home. Now I wasn’t at the protest. I can’t tell you what was said. I can’t tell you who said it. I can tell you hate has no place anywhere in our city during the protests, from protesters, from counter protesters, or on social media,'' he said.

“I can also tell you that two wrongs don’t make a right. And I say that because regardless of what happened during a protest, some of the members of our community and outside of community took to social media after the protest and said some hateful, racist things that have no place in the city of Hoover.”

"We do not support those ideas.We do not condone those ideas. And those ideas will not help us heal from the tragedies of the past,'' Murphy said. "“Out of tragedy comes opportunity. This time is no different.”

Murphy said the race discussion must continue, even when this is over. "We have to keep growing. We have to decide whether we’re going to unify or we’re going to divide. Whether we’re going to to choose the side of hate or choose the side of love,'' he said. “Whether we’re going to hold on to opinions fed by misinformation or if it means missing opportunities to live in our truths.”

"For me, I choose love,'' Murphy said, "because hate is too heavy a burden to carry. "

A funeral for Bradford is set for Saturday at Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium. The family has hired a civil rights attorney, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson will deliver the eulogy at Bradford’s service.

The mayor also spoke at Thursday’s briefing. "We have all witnessed situations across this country where community tensions between citizens and police unfold on a public stage,'' Brocato said. “We want to and are committed to getting to the truth and getting it right.”

"I’ve also taken time to talk to the city council, the chief of police and others to address serious issues that has caused tension in our country, and now in our community,'' he said. "Investigations take time and now we’re doing everything we can to cooperate with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in finding out the truth of what happened. ”

There were no questions take by city officials and the meeting ended in prayer.