Two Columbia men charged in connection with the 2023 Dove Drive fatal shooting, had their charges upgraded from second-degree murder to first-degree murder.
Ja’Shaun Barney, 19 and Bryton Allen, 20, now both face charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and tampering with a motor vehicle. Barney faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm.
The charges were upgraded after superseding indictments were filed for both men on Friday, May 3.
The charges are connected to a shooting, which resulted in the killing of Deshon Houston in the 3200 block of Dove Drive in June 2023. Columbia Police officers found Houston on the driveway of a duplex with a gunshot wound to the head, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting. He was determined to be deceased at the scene.
Barney and Allen are two of five people arrested in connection to the investigation. Jajuan Crockett, 22, and Damarkus Williams, 19, both face second-degree murder charges, according to online court records. Maurice Penny Jr. was sentenced to 120 days in prison for two counts of interfering with arrest in March.
CPD is still searching for Columbia residents Alqueze Jones, 20, Deljuan Turner, 20, and Deazes Turner, 21, in connection to the shooting. In March, the US Marshals Service announced it is offering a $3000 cash reward for information on the wanted suspects.
