Jury finds NC rapper guilty of the murder of 9-year-old Z’Yon Person in Durham shooting

A federal jury found Antonio Davenport Jr. guilty of murder Thursday in the killing of 9-year-old Z’Yon Person in a drive-by shooting in Durham nearly three years ago.

The courtroom became quiet as the judge summoned the jury back into the wood-paneled courtroom around 6 p.m.

Sitting with his attorneys, Davenport, a rapper known by his stage name “Lil Tony,” fixed his gaze on the jury box as its members walked in.

Ashley Ragland, Zyon’s mother, was shaking in her seat as the jurors returned and sobbed as the verdict was read.

After roughly eight hours of deliberation over two days, the jury found Davenport guilty on all three counts of federal murder, gun and racketeering charges. The crimes could result in two life sentences, plus another 10 years or more.

Davenport, 27, asked to be excused after the verdict was read and was escorted out of the courtroom in shackles.

Davenport’s mother hugged both of her son’s defense attorneys outside the courthouse. All three declined to comment on the verdict.

The prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office also declined to comment.

Shot on ride for snow cones

In his testimony Davenport denied shooting at the SUV in which Z’Yon, his aunt and other children were riding Aug. 18, 2019, on the way to get snow cones.

Z’Yon’s 8-year-old cousin was hit in the arm.

Z’Yon, a rising fourth-grader at Penny Road Elementary School in Cary, was hit in the forehead and died the next morning.

Read more: “Aunt takes stand at NC rapper’s trial about drive-by shooting that killed 9-year-old”

Prosecutors argued Davenport and the two fellow members of the Braggtown-based Eight Trey Gangster Crips were seeking revenge after rival gang members had jumped Davenport days earlier at The Streets at Southpoint mall in southern Durham and posted a video of the attack on social media, shaming him.

Davenport, a rapper at the time of the shooting with the trio 83 babies, conceded he was driving the car.

But he testified he didn’t know co-defendants Dival Magwood and Derrick Dixon Jr. planned to fire on the SUV.

Davenport didn’t fire a gun, but Dixon shot two guns that left behind more than 20 shell casings, his attorneys argued during the trial,

In her testimony, however, Davenport’s girlfriend and the mother of his child admitted buying ammunition for him the day before the shooting. She also said police found a gun linked to the shooting in a car that she was driving and that Davenport asked her to tell police it was hers.

Davenport admitted during his testimony that he painted his vehicle black for fear of being linked to the shooting.

Sentencing is set for 9:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Greensboro.

Staff writer Virginia Bridges contributed to this story.