New court date for shooter

TYLER – A trial date has been set for 23-year-old Dayton Morgan, who is accused of fatally shooting a man during an alleged road rage incident in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, on Friday, Judge Austin Reeve Jackson announced that a trial has been scheduled for Feb. 8, 2027. Morgan faces a murder charge in the death of Trevor Julian, a 29-year-old from Whitehouse.

The prosecution has requested that a hearing for a bond reduction be postponed until early next month while they gather a mental health evaluation, as records have indicated that Morgan has a history of anger issues. Defense attempted to have the documents suppressed from trial, but the request was denied.

The Tyler Police Department reported that officers responded to a shooting incident on February 13 at approximately 5:10 p.m. The shooting took place in the eastbound lanes of Grande Boulevard, where vehicles were halted at a red light at Paluxy Drive.

According to an arrest affidavit from Smith County, Morgan was driving a white 2008 Dodge Ram pickup with a front-seat passenger. A white Tesla was also traveling 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 was then arrested for murder and taken to the Smith County Jail, where he has remained for the past five months.