Road rage fight ends with truck driver shooting Marine dead as his family watched from inside their Tesla
Inset: Dayton Alexander Morgan (Smith County (Tex.) District Clerk). Background: The intersection where Dayton Alexander Morgan allegedly murdered Trevor Julian during a road rage incident (Google Maps).
A 23-year-old Texas man has been charged with first-degree murder after authorities say he fatally shot a 29-year-old Marine in what investigators describe as a road rage confrontation.
According to the Tyler Police Department, officers responded to multiple 911 calls around 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, reporting gunfire at the intersection of Grande Boulevard and Paluxy Drive in Tyler, about 110 miles southeast of Dallas.
Police identified the suspect as Dayton Alexander Morgan and the victim as Trevor Julian. Investigators say Julian was riding in the front passenger seat of a white Tesla driven by his wife, with their three children seated in the back, according to reports from local stations KLTV and KYTX.
Authorities said both vehicles approached a red light when the Tesla stopped. Morgan later told investigators the stop left his truck closer to the Tesla than he preferred, the Longview News-Journal reported.
Police say Julian exited the Tesla and approached Morgan’s truck, shouting for him to back up. Morgan reportedly opened his driver’s door while still seated, and the two men argued. Morgan claimed Julian then moved toward the open door, prompting him to retrieve a handgun from his center console, rack the slide, and point it toward the doorway. He fired a single shot through the window, striking Julian.
During questioning, Morgan acknowledged that Julian did not make verbal threats and did not appear to be armed, according to investigators. Detectives concluded the evidence did not support Morgan’s claim of self-defense.
Morgan is currently being held in the Smith County jail on a first-degree murder charge.
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