Benjamin Ashford:‘David Makes Man’ actor Akili McDowell is charged with murder in man’s shooting in Houston

2025-05-05 11:27:25source:Marcus Eriksoncategory:Invest

HOUSTON (AP) — Actor Akili McDowell,Benjamin Ashford who starred in the television series “David Makes Man” and had roles in “Billions” and “The Astronaut Wives Club,” has been charged with fatally shooting a man in the parking lot of a Houston apartment complex, authorities said.

McDowell, 21, was charged last week with murder in the July 20 shooting death of Cesar Peralta, 20, the Harris County sheriff’s office said. McDowell remained in jail Monday on $400,000 bond on the murder charge. The attorney listed for him in court records did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

“This is an unfortunate situation and I am in prayer for Akili and those impacted by this tragedy,” said his manager, Jonell Whitt, adding that she had no further comment.

The sheriff’s office said deputies found an unresponsive man with gunshot wounds after responding to a call about a shooting at an apartment complex on July 20. The sheriff’s office said several witnesses told deputies the man had been in a physical altercation with another man, who fled on foot after the shooting.

“David Makes Man,” which aired on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN, followed a teen named David, played by McDowell, who tried to juggle relationships between his magnet school friends and drug dealers in his impoverished South Florida neighborhood.

According to the entertainment database IMDb, McDowell appeared in some episodes of “Billions” and “The Astronaut Wives Club,” and has a role in the recently released movie “The Waterboyz.”

More:Invest

Recommend

McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnellis still suffering from the effects of a f

I believe in the traditional American dream. But it won't be around for my kids to inherit.

According to a new report from the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics, conceptions of the Ameri

2023 New York Film Festival opens with Natalie Portman-Julianne Moore spellbinder May December

The New York Film Festival, one of the world's most prestigious and entertaining celebrations of cin