Third man charged in deadly north Columbia drive-by shooting

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County prosecutors filed charges Wednesday against a third man allegedly involved in a deadly shooting in a north Columbia neighborhood.

Bryton S. Allen, 19, was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in the Monday shooting death of Deshon Houston, 33, outside a home on Dove Drive. Jajuan Crockett, 21, and Damarkus T. Williams, 18, were charged with the same crimes Wednesday. All three men are being held in the Boone County Jail without bond.

Allen was one of the men accused of shooting from two vehicles, a white Ford Explorer and a gold Acura, when Houston was shot in the head, according to court documents. The vehicles sped away from the scene after the shooting and the Ford Explorer, which had allegedly been stolen, crashed.

Police say downloaded information from the SUV's infotainment system, witness statements and surveillance footage led investigators to the suspects.

The SUV had bullet holes in it, police say. Witnesses described people shooting from the SUV and someone standing up in the Acura's sunroof and firing a gun.

Police believe Crockett was in the SUV and Williams was in the Acura. Allen's alleged role isn't clear from the heavily redacted probable cause statement filed in his case.

A Columbia Police Department spokesman said Thursday that police are seeking at least one more suspect.

On Thursday, all three pleaded not guilty. Their following court hearings are scheduled for July 6. ]

According to court records, Allen pleaded guilty in February to stealing a firearm and resisting arrest. Court documents say he ran away from police when he was found with a gun outside of a Downtown Bar in August.

Police say the gun came back as stolen when they searched the serial number. He was sentenced to five years probation.

A judge issued a warrant for Crockett in April for a probation violation.