Mike Brown Shooting: Audio Clip With Gunshot Sounds Could Provide Insight On Ferguson Teen's Death

A new audio clip, which allegedly recorded a series of shots fired at Michael Brown, was released Tuesday and reportedly indicates two separate sets of shots with a pause between them. The recording could further muddle the controversy surrounding the death of the 18-year-old black teen who was shot and killed on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri, by police officer Darren Wilson -- an incident that triggered days of protests and violence in the St. Louis suburb.

The audio clip, which was first played on CNN, reportedly reveals the sound of at least 10 gunshots -- a cluster of six shots, followed by a pause, and another four shots. The clip was reportedly recorded by a man who lives near the site where Brown was killed and accidentally captured the sound of the gunshots, according to media reports, which cited the unidentified man’s lawyer. According to a federal autopsy report, which found no signs of a struggle, Brown was shot at least six times.

The clip has since been handed over to the FBI, reports said citing a Missouri lawyer, adding that the authenticity of the recording is yet to be verified. If the clip proves authentic, it could provide new information about the shooting death of Brown, which has been recounted by several witnesses, albeit with conflicting accounts. A grand jury has already started hearing the evidence in the case.

"I was very concerned about that pause ... because it's not just the number of gunshots, it's how they're fired,” Lopa Blumenthal, the man's attorney, told CNN's Don Lemon. "And that has a huge relevance on how this case might finally end up."

“He had been texting his friend and he decided to shoot her a video,” Blumenthal said of her client in a telephone interview, according to Bloomberg. “It just so happens that those 12 seconds happened to be when all of this took place outside of his apartment building.”

The attorney also reportedly said that she had learned of the recording from a mutual friend last week. "I had to get his consent before I could reach out to the FBI," Blumenthal said, according to CNN.

Chris Chestnut, the family attorney of Jonathan Ferrell, an unarmed African-American man who was shot and killed by a North Carolina police officer in September 2013, also raised doubts over the pause between the shots.

"It's the pause that gives most concern in a police shooting, especially with an unarmed victim, because at this point Mr. Brown is defenseless -- he has no weapon," Chestnut told CNN.

Brown’s funeral took place on Monday at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, which was attended by about 5,000 people, including family members, local politicians and White House officials.

Ferguson remained calm Tuesday night as dozens reportedly participated in peaceful protests, following days of unrest in the city.