Daryus Bryant murder trial: Friend testifies about prom night shooting

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Topping our news, a Muscogi County murder trial in its third day. And today, jurors heard emotional testimony from a close friend of the teen victim.

[00:00:08]Zion Horton, Sam Copelan, and Jaquan Mahon, all charged in the April 2024 shooting death of Darius Bryant, the 16-year-old star athlete killed on his prom night in Columbus on Mon Road.

[00:00:20]Newsletter 9's Amaya Graham joins us live from the government center after being in that Columbus courtroom for today's proceedings. So, Amaya, what did the victim's friend testify about that tragic night?

[00:00:33]>> Well, Jason, with both families filling the courtroom, Jaden Terry, who was in the car with Bryant the night of the shooting, told the jury they were just headed to a party that night, but never made it. Day three of the Darius Bryant murder trial. Emotional testimony and Q witness counts as the state builds its case against Zion Horton, Jaquan Mahon, and Samaj Copelan charged in the April 2024 prom night shooting on Mon Road.

[00:01:04]>> You know what kind of vehicle Samaj Copeland drove?

[00:01:07]>> Oh yes.

[00:01:08]>> What kind of vehicle did he drive?

[00:01:09]>> It's a silver dartmate.

[00:01:17]Maria Mahon was with Bryant at prom the same night he was killed. The defense presented her about rumors spreading at school after the shooting.

[00:01:27]>> It was one rumor >> one rumor by a bunch of different people >> that everybody had, >> right? You don't have any earthly idea who started that rumor or anything along those lines, right? It just it was started and then everybody pretty much just ran with The state then called Jaden Terry, a classmate who was inside the car during the shooting.

[00:01:46]>> So, so you went to a Circle K. Why did you go to Circle K?

[00:01:50]>> We had received a call from the name is Ke Whitaker and he had told us to just come circ.

[00:01:59]>> Terry told jurors he saw three to four people in his silver car and recognized one immediately.

[00:02:06]>> Do you see anybody in that silver car?

[00:02:08]Yes, sir.

[00:02:10]How many people?

[00:02:11]>> Uh, at first I did see three to four people.

[00:02:19]>> Do you recognize any of them?

[00:02:20]>> Yes, sir.

[00:02:22]>> Uh, Copeland and I don't know.

[00:02:31]Now, Clarence Favors, another victim in this case, just got off the witness stand, recounting the night of the murder and the gunshot wounds. He received more teens from Manchester High will be taking the stand tomorrow morning here in Judge Art Smith's courtroom. Now, earlier today, two officers also testified about canvasing min road for surveillance footage recovering a video from a nearby storage facility and a home close to the scene.

[00:03:00]That footage showed cars leaving Circle K before the shooting. Now, the trial is expected to continue through Friday.

[00:03:07]Live in the government center, I'm Amaya Graham reporting for WTVM News Leader Nine.

[00:03:11]>> Like you said, several more days coming up in court. All right. Thank you, Amaya.