Federal charges added for men accused in 9-year-old's death in Durham

WTVD-AP
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Two more charged in murder of Z'Yon Person
Two more charged in murder of Z'Yon Person

DURHAM, N.C. -- Two North Carolina men accused in the shooting death of a 9-year-old boy now face federal racketeering charges, specifically committing violent crimes to aid their gang operation, a federal prosecutor said.

An Oct. 27 indictment sealed until Friday says Antonio "Lil Tony" Davenport and Dival "Paco" Nygee Magwood and the Eight Trey Gangster Crips sold drugs, committed fraud, and engaged in other illegal activity and violent crimes to enrich the gang's members, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Thursday.

In August 2019, 9-year-old Z'Yon Person was shot in the head from a passing car as he rode with a group of children in his aunt's SUV to get snow cones in Durham.

Davenport mistook the aunt's SUV for the car of someone else involved in the ongoing dispute between the Eight Trey Gangsters and the O-Block gang, Assistant District Attorney Kendra Montgomery-Blinn said in court in November.

Davenport, the first person charged in Z'Yon's shooting, has been held in jail without bail since and denies the allegations.

The indictment also charges the men with discharging a firearm in the commission of a crime and discharging a firearm that killed Z'Yon to aid in racketeering.

An 8-year-old was also hurt in the shooting near Duke Street and Leon Street the night of Sunday, Aug. 18.

Video is from a previous report.

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