Marine killed in road-rage shooting that started after ‘abrupt stop’ at traffic light, police say

TYLER, Texas (KLTV/Gray News) – A Marine in Texas was killed in a road rage shooting at an intersection Friday, according to authorities.

Police in Tyler, Texas, said 23-year-old Dayton Alexander Morgan fired two shots through his truck window during the confrontation, hitting and killing 29-year-old Trevor Julian at the intersection of Grande Boulevard and Paluxy Drive around 5 p.m.

According to Morgan’s statement to police, both vehicles were approaching the intersection when the traffic light turned red. Morgan reportedly said the white Tesla carrying Julian came to an abrupt stop, forcing him to brake quickly and stop “closer to the Tesla than he wanted.”

An affidavit said Julian then got out of the passenger side of the Tesla while Morgan opened his truck door, but remained seated. The men began yelling at each other, with Julian shouting for Morgan to back up and Morgan shouting back, telling Julian to move on.

The affidavit said Julian then walked to the front of Morgan’s truck and shouted at him through the windshield while pointing with his left hand.

When Morgan shouted back, he said Julian then walked to the driver’s side of his truck.

As Julian approached, Morgan took a pistol from his center console and shot once through the driver’s side window of his truck, hitting Julian in the throat, the affidavit said.

Julian reportedly stumbled back and then forward again, and Morgan shot him again, hitting Julian in the upper left part of his chest, according to authorities.

The affidavit said Julian then fell to the ground, where he stayed until medical services responded. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

The affidavit said Morgan told police Julian made no verbal threats of harm and did not appear to have a gun or other weapon, with Morgan also saying he did not see anything in Julian’s hands during the confrontation.

“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 detective wrote.

Blood evidence outside Morgan’s vehicle, along with bullet holes in the driver’s door, showed Julian was outside of the vehicle when he was shot, according to the affidavit.

A woman and three children were in Julian’s vehicle at the time, authorities said, and a person was in the front passenger seat of Morgan’s truck.

Morgan has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held on a $1 million bond in the Smith County Jail.