Jury finds Rose State College shooting suspect guilty of murder, recommends life sentence

The suspect in a deadly Rose State College shooting has been found guilty of first-degree murder.

Midwest City police said Brandon Morrissette shot and killed R.J. Long on April 24, 2023, because he believed Long was having an affair with his wife. Investigators said Morrissette’s wife told police Long was only a classmate and friend.

The trial began Monday, and jurors began their deliberations Thursday afternoon before delivering the verdict shortly after 4 p.m.

For the murder charge, jurors recommended a sentence of life without parole. They also recommended the maximum sentence for possession of a weapon on a school campus.

"I forgave him the moment I heard what happened, because I won't let anything or anybody cause my heart to become bitter for any reason, because he's not worth it," Kelly Long, the mother of RJ Long, said in an interview on Thursday.

In response to the verdict, she told reporters, "I really want to say thank you to our jurors. They did an amazing job. And there was a lot of details, a lot of stories, a lot of facts. And, how quickly they deliberated. I'm so thankful and want to thank them personally."

In a news release, Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna thanked Midwest City Police, and her trial team, for their work on the case.

Attorneys for Morrissette said they plan to appeal.

"We're very disappointed, we had hoped for much better," one of his attorneys, David Smith, told reporters. "The young man is dead, another young man's life is wasted."

A judge will sentence Morrissette on October 14th, 2025. Morrissette also faces separate charges related to possessing child pornography. That case is still pending.

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