News Flash

Durham Man Charged in Murder of Z’Yon Person 

Durham police investigators have charged and arrested a man in connection with the August 18 murder of 9-year-old Z’Yon Person.

The man – 24-year-old Antonio Nathaniel “Lil Tony” Davenport Jr. – was charged this morning at the Durham County Jail, where he was already being held on charges from a prior domestic violence case. The arrest resulted from an investigation by the Durham Police Department’s Homicide Unit and the FBI’s Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force, which includes task force officers from the Durham Police Department and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.

“I would like to announce an arrest in the case of yet another senseless act of violence… in this incident, taking the innocent life of 9-year-old Z’Yon Person. The arrest is the result of relentless hard work by members of the Durham Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Our officers and investigators, with support from concerned and engaged community members, will continue the fight against gun violence in our city,” said Durham Police Chief C.J. Davis.

Z’Yon Person was riding in a car with one adult and several children around 9 p.m. on August 18 when the shooting occurred near the intersection of North Duke Street and Leon Street. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died. An 8-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to his arm during the incident. He was treated at the hospital for his injuries and released.

Davenport is charged with first-degree murder, felony conspiracy to commit murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious bodily injury, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of discharging a weapon into an occupied property causing serious injury and three counts of discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle/residence.

The investigation is still active and ongoing.

Anyone with further information is asked to call Investigator Cramer at (919) 560-4440, ext. 29284 or CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.