Murder charge issued in South Bend shooting death of T'yon Horston; suspect at large
SOUTH BEND — A murder charge has been filed for Dominick Williams Jr., 18, of South Bend, in connection with the shooting death of 11-year-old T’yon Horston.
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's office authorized the charges for Williams with one count of murder and one count of felony firearms enhancement.
Horston was shot and killed at about 5 p.m. April 20 in the 600 block of North Johnson Street. The case was investigated by the South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit.
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The sentencing range for murder is 45 to 65 years, while the range for a firearm enhancement is five to 20 years.
According to court documents, officers were called to the 600 block of Johnson Street where Horston was found with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
Witnesses reportedly told police a Black male wearing all black clothing and a black ski mask had been in thealley across the street from where Horston was found and he was carrying a rifle shortly afterthe gunshots were heard.
Witnesses said a Black male wearing a red jacket returned fire.
After the exchange, witnesses said the man in black clothing left in a white Dodge Charger going north.
Documents said that a few minutes after the shooting, a white Dodge Charger broke down in the 2100 block of North Johnson Street. Witnesses reportedly saw a Black male subject dressed in black clothing run from the vehicle carrying firearms, including a rifle.
The male in black reportedly ran between houses and was later picked up by a white SUV, according to court documents.
The owner of the Charger was found after she reported the vehicle stolen a short time after the homicide and was in Indianapolis at the time of the shooting.
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The affidavit said Dominick G. Williams Jr. was named as the only other person that drove that vehicle, and evidence was located that showed the vehicle had been at his father’s house a short time before the homicide.
Investigators said Williams' cellphone number was found through his mother’s call detail records. The records reportedly place his cellphone in the area of the homicide at the time of the homicide and in the area where the white Charger broke down.
Investigators found the person driving the SUV that reportedly picked up Williams and confirmed that he picked up Williams after his car broke down and had a gun on him at the time. A passenger in the vehicle also was located and confirmed that the driver of the vehicle picked up a friend wearing all black after his car broke down on that day, court documents said.
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Investigators also said Flock cameras in the area of the shooting captured images of a white Charger a fewminutes before the homicide. A black ski mask also was located inside the Charger after it was impounded and searched.
As of Friday afternoon, Williams was not in custody. Police are asking the public to call should you come into contact with Williams or know of his whereabouts. Contact the South Bend Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 574-235-9263, leave an anonymous tip to Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP, or call 911 with time-sensitive information.
Williams is to be considered armed and dangerous.
Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@sbtinfo.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend man charged with murder in T'yon Horston shooting death
