No self-defense in road rage shooting

TYLER — New details have been released in the fatal road rage shooting that killed a 29-year-old Whitehouse Marine veteran in Tyler on Friday evening, where a preliminary investigation revealed there was no need for self-defense.

The Tyler Police Department received multiple 911 calls around 5:06 p.m. on Feb. 13 reporting that a man had been shot multiple times.

According to an arrest affidavit from Smith County, officers were dispatched to the intersection of E. Grande Boulevard and Paluxy Drive in Tyler, where they found a man lying unresponsive on the roadway while another man performed CPR.

According to our news partner KETK, the affidavit states that Dayton Alexander Morgan, 23, was driving a white 2008 Dodge Ram pickup eastbound with a front-seat passenger. A white Tesla was also traveling eastbound in front of Morgan’s vehicle. The Tesla was driven by a woman with Trevor Julian in the passenger seat and three children in the back.

As the vehicles approached the intersection, the traffic signal turned red and traffic began to slow. Morgan told officers the Tesla stopped abruptly, “causing him to stop closer to the vehicle than he preferred.”

Morgan allegedly told investigators that Julian exited the Tesla and approached his truck. Morgan opened his door but remained seated inside. The two men began yelling at each other, with Julian allegedly telling Morgan to back up while Morgan responded by telling Julian to “move on.”

According to the affidavit, Julian then walked to the front of the pickup, shouting and pointing through the windshield. As he moved toward the driver’s side door, Morgan opened his center console, retrieved a pistol and fired one round through the window, striking him in the throat.

Morgan told investigators that Julian stumbled backward and then moved forward again, at which point Morgan fired a second round, striking him in the upper chest. Julian fell to the ground and remained there until EMS arrived. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Morgan stayed at the scene and was later taken to the police department for questioning. Investigators said Morgan admitted Julian made no verbal threats and did not appear to have a firearm or any other weapon. Morgan also stated he did not see anything in Julian’s hands during the encounter.

“Having interviewed Morgan, to include information obtained from multiple witnesses to the incident, I did not obtain any information that would warrant Morgan having discharged his firearm as a means of self-defense,” the affidavit reads.