Court says Cannon is not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter – Prosecutor says the shooting stemmed from a Gadsden County gang rivalry

A Gadsden County native stood trial last week for a deadly shootout in Tallahassee.

A Leon County jury found De’Arius Cannon, 30, not guilty of second-degree murder for the death of DeMario “Ro” Murray, an innocent bystander who was killed during a shooting that injured eight others outside of Half Time Liquors on Pensacola Street, following a Florida State University home football game and Florida A&M University’s homecoming festivities.

Cannon’s head dropped in relief as the first verdict was read.

However, the outcome for subsequent charges were not as favorable for Cannon.

Cannon was found guilty of attempted manslaughter and improper exhibition of a firearm.

Jurors did downgrade an attempted murder charge to attempted manslaughter by act and with a firearm.

The verdict came after Cannon requested a speedy trial last month.

The trial began on Monday, November 28, with Judge Stephen Everett presiding over the case.

Closing arguments wrapped up on Friday around 11 a.m.

Crime scene photos showed a single rifle round found in Murray’s clothes.

The medical examiner Lisa Flannagan who performed the autopsy on Murray testified that the bullet entered Murray’s lower back, fracturing his spine, before traveling up through his lung – collapsing it – and exiting near his clavicle bone.

Surveillance footage played in court showed what happened leading up to the shooting from various angles.

A man wearing a red jacket with the barrel of a rifle protruding from under it, identified as Tamylon Williams, by investigators, walked up to a group of people who Campbell referred to as “the Midway crew,” standing in front of Half Time Liquor followed by a man in a “red and black puffy coat.”

One of the gunshot victims, who Campbell said was a part of the “Midway crew” could be seen holding what appeared to be a pistol in his left hand.

Seconds later the man identified as 26-year-old Williams, and the unidentified shooter wearing the “red and black puffy jacket” walked back towards Pensacola Street.

At exactly 11 p.m. the first shots were fired, in a sweep from right to left.

The crowd can be seen reacting to gun shots and appeared to run away from where the two men in red jackets walked, just outside of the camera’s view.

Five seconds after the shooting began Murray is seen lying on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound.

About 40 seconds later, Cannon is seen running across the street in McDonald’s parking lot and firing his gun before being shot by the police.

Another shooter is seen firing a gun in the parking lot adjacent to McDonald’s seconds before Cannon shoots.

Experts testified that more than 70 rounds were fired within 40 seconds from at least 12 guns.

There were also at least five different shooters seen on camera, but only three have been arrested.

All three of the men arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder in connection to the shooting are from Gadsden County.

Several survivors of the shooting testified during the trial.

At least five of them are also from Gadsden County; one of the victims who took the stand said the shooting stemmed from a rivalry between Sawdust and Midway.

Before being shot by police, Cannon was seen on surveillance video firing a pistol, which he purchased brand new in 2019.

Nine hours after the shooting, while still in the hospital, Cannon was questioned by an investigator regarding the officer-involved shooting.

During that interview, which was captured by an officer’s body-worn camera, Cannon said he heard bullets whizzing past his head, so he turned and shot twice.

“I hear a shot across the street. I hear it, like, it’s zooming by me,” Cannon said while being questioned by Tallahassee Police Department homicide investigator Nick Roberts. “My gun is clean. I was trying to protect myself. I turned around and I shot twice.”

Surveillance footage also backed Cannon’s claims.

Several expert witnesses for the state testified that it was highly unlikely Cannon shot Murray, considering the bullet that struck Murray couldn’t have been fired from Cannon’s gun.

During closing statements Campbell argued that the state does not need to prove which bullet came from which gun, including the shot that killed Murray.

Campbell said all the suspects mutually agreed to a shootout in a public setting, making all of them responsible for Murray’s death.

“He was part of a team that had a gunfight in the streets of Tallahassee, and he needs to be held accountable,” Campbell said.

The prosecutor said Cannon was armed with a 9mm handgun because he knew there was the chance of a fight.

He accused Cannon of knowingly firing into a crowd of people.

Cannon’s attorney Kris Dunn said Cannon shot two to four rounds only after being shot at, and he said based on when the shooting started, the evidence and timeline doesn’t support his involvement in the killing of Murray.

Dunn argued that just because Cannon is black, from Gadsden County, and lived in a different neighborhood than the other alleged shooters did not mean he was a gang member that “had a beef” with the other alleged shooters.

“You will have to believe in fairy tales and magic bullets to find my client guilty,” Dunn said during his closing argument, adding that while Cannon fired bullets, he did not aim or strike anyone, as he told police during his initial interview.

The defense attorney played videos from HalfTime Liquors’ security cameras, showing hundreds of people diving and ducking behind cars, and falling over one another as they ran from the gunfire.

Some even fired handguns as they lay in a pile of people.

One of the men seen firing from the pile was identified by the prosecutor and a Quincy Police Department Officer as Joseph Walker, III.

Walker, 24, was arrested in Quincy on November 8 in connection to the HalfTime Liquors shooting. He was also booked on other gun and drug charges.

Dunn argued that his client did not aim at anyone but shot in the air only after he was shot at first.

“I feel like this is a trial run for puffy red and black jacket, and that’s not fair to Mr. Cannon at all,” Dunn said to the jurors.

The jury of six – four women and two men – deliberated for just more than five hours before returning the verdict.

“I am pleased with the verdict,” State Attorney Jack Campbell said after the verdict was delivered Friday at 5 p.m.

Campbell said he still believes that everyone who shot that night is responsible for Murray’s death.

Sentencing will be set at a later date, and the victims will be given an opportunity to provide impact statements.

The state attorney said the maximum sentence for the two charges is 16 years in prison. He said the state will be seeking the maximum sentence.

Cannon’s co-defendants Joseph Walker and Tamylon William are both charged with second-degree murder, attempted murder and weapons charges.

A fourth man, William Thomas who was arrested with Williams within two hours of the shooting is charged with possession of firearm by a delinquent and.

According to arresting officers, an AK-variant sniper rifle and an AR-15 pistol was found in the car with Thomas and Williams.

Thomas also has eight out of county warrants.

The state attorney said the case remains ongoing and that more suspects may be arrested.

During the trial it was also revealed that Cannon’s gun was recently linked by investigators to another mass shooting in Gadsden County last year, just outside of Quincy.

A shell casing, from the 9mm confiscated from Cannon during his arrest in connection to the Half Time shooting, was found at the scene of to April 2021 shooting at Club Vibez.

During that incident seven people were reportedly injured.

That case is also still open and being investigated by the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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Court says Cannon is not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter – Prosecutor says the shooting stemmed from a Gadsden County gang rivalry

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