Akili McDowell was arrested and charged with the murder of a 20-year-old man.
The 21-year-old actor, best known for his roles in “Billions” and “David Makes Man,” was taken into custody last week in connection to a deadly shooting, according to an update from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Per Gonzalez’s Facebook post, “Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an incident that occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex” on July 20.
When they arrived at the scene, Cesar Peralta was found with several gunshot wounds. Peralta, 20, “was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
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The statement noted that the suspects fled the scene. It’s unclear how McDowell was connected to the incident or his relationship with Peralta.
The young actor was booked into the Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas.
McDowell was also charged with theft, and his bond was set at $400,210 for both alleged crimes, per online jail records.
While he will appear in court for the theft charges later this week, he won’t be back in court for the murder charges until October.
Reps for McDowell did not immediately reply to Pvnew’s request for comment.
However, his manager, Jonell Whitt, called the murder “an unfortunate situation” in a statement to Law & Crime.
“I am in prayer for Akili and those impacted by this tragedy,” Whitt said.
McDowell rose to fame at the age of 15 after landing the titular role in “David Makes Man,” a coming-of-age story centered around a 14-year-old boy who “lives in the projects but attends a magnet school for academically gifted youngsters.”
After the series premiered on OWN, McDowell told Vulture he “related” to his character after growing up in a single-parent household.
“That’s why it was so important to me that I get this audition because, honestly, with David being raised by a single mother and him feeling like he had to be the man of the house at such an early age and make all these grown folks’ decisions and things like that, I’ve also felt like that in my life,” he said.
“He just wants to be there for his mom,” he continued. “She doesn’t gotta worry about David. That’s what he wants. David’s gonna do his job; David gonna get things done. And I felt that way in my life as well.”
Following his success in the series, McDowell landed roles in “Billions” and “I Am Athlete.” He most recently starred in “The Waterboyz,” a crime drama also featuring La La Anthony and Quavo.
He reportedly began filming a coming-of-age film, “Stay With Me,” just one week before his arrest.
