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Grand jury indicts 1 man, declines charging 2 others in connection with Tyler shooting that killed 2 teens

The shooting happened at Royal Crest Apartments, located at 1909 Sybil Ln in Tyler, when a gun exchange went bad, documents show.

TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video was published on March 24, 2023.

A grand jury handed down an indictment for one of three men arrested earlier this year in connection with the shooting deaths of two Athens teens at a Tyler apartment complex but chose not to formally charge the other two. 

Nicholas Hudson, 19, of Malakoff, was indicted on two counts of murder in connection with the March 23 shooting deaths of Donovan Dodd, 19, and a 17-year-old boy, both of Athens. 

The shooting happened at Royal Crest Apartments, located at 1909 Sybil Ln in Tyler, when a trade for an AR-15 assault rifle in exchange for a 9mm pistol and $400 cash went bad, documents show.

Credit: Smith County Jail

Hudson was arrested as well as Lakimbrick Horn, 19, of Bullard, and Aaron Johnson, 20, of Tyler, in late March and early April on murder charges. 

Hudson's indictment came down June 15 and he remains jailed on bonds totaling $2 million. 

Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman confirmed Horn and Johnson were both no-billed, meaning that the grand jury did not find enough evidence to indict or formally charge them. 

Horn was released from the Smith County Jail on June 16. Johnson remains jailed on a theft of a firearm charge with a $50,000 bond. 

The arrest affidavit shows Dodd and the 17-year-old were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in a vehicle at the Royal Crest Apartments. 

Police officers located a Springfield XD 9mm pistol, spent 9mm shell casings inside the vehicle, a stack of money, an AR-15 assault rifle on the ground near the driver's door, and a second AR-15 assault rifle in the back seat, the affidavit said. 

Soon after responding to that scene, police received a call from a resident on Park Place in Tyler saying a man, later identified as Johnson, had been shot at the apartment complex as well, police said. 

In a police interview, Johnson said he and someone he called "Brandon Horn" contacted "ASG" to trade an AR-15 to ASG's associates for a 9mm pistol and $400, the affidavit read. 

Later in the investigation, ASG was identified as Hudson, who coordinated the meetup in the Royal Crest Apartments parking lot. His associates were identified as Dodd and the 17-year-old shooting victim.

Johnson pulled up next to Dodd and the 17-year-old's car in the back of the lot. Johnson got out of his vehicle with the AR-15 and into the passenger seat of the other car, according to the document. 

Johnson said he passed the AR-15 to Dodd and the 17-year-old passed the money toward Johnson, but the teen would not let go of the cash, the affidavit explained.  

The teen, who had his right hand on the pistol, started to turn around with the gun when Johnson reached for the pistol, the affidavit explained. 

The teen fired one shot that struck Johnson's left thigh. Johnson then said he took the pistol from the teen, and fired about seven rounds into Dodd and the 17-year-old victim, according to the affidavit.

Johnson fled from the vehicle and called EMS from a nearby home.

In an interview with police, Hudson admitted to coordinating the gun exchange between Johnson, Dodd and the 17-year-old. He also said he was aware of the plans to steal the AR-15 from Johnson, the affidavit said. Hudson denied leaving the vehicle until after the attempted gun trade and the  shooting stopped.

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