Suspects in deadly shooting, originally charged with murder, get probation

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two men received probation in a deadly shooting case Thursday after pleading guilty to reduced charges.

Tavion Johnson, 21, and Daevion McCray, 22, were originally charged with felony murder in the 2024 shooting death of Orrion Moody, 28. They each pleaded guilty in April to two counts of second-degree assault and a count of unlawful use of a weapon.

Circuit Judge Joshua Devine sentenced Johnson and McCray each to five years of supervised probation with a suspended imposition of sentence.

Cellphone information had allegedly tracked them to the location of the Oct. 20, 2024, shooting in the 3900 block of Clark Lane.

Court documents say one person admitted to firing a gun after being fired at from another residence and that Johnson was one of the shooters. Investigators used Instagram videos showing Johnson waving guns at the scene before the shooting to corroborate the identification.

"We are really thankful for Judge Devine’s decision today," said Jeffrey Hillbrenner, defense attorney for Johnson. "Boone County is fortunate to have judges who take the time to look at the whole person, the entire case, and all of the facts. Judge Devine did exactly that today, and we are grateful for it.

"Tavion has been through an extraordinary amount of pain. The tragic death in this case was his own brother — the only father figure he ever had. Tavion was present during a chaotic, violent event and watched his brother get shot and die. He will carry that loss for the rest of his life."

Court records say several factors went into Johnson's sentencing, including the fact that no evidence showed that he fired a gun on the night of Moody's death. Records also noted that Johnson has been jailed for about 20 months.