Omaha man sentenced to prison for shooting death of woman

From the What you missed last week in notable Omaha crimes and court cases series

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A 22-year-old Omaha man was sentenced Tuesday to about 40 years in prison for the shooting death of a woman in 2022.

Davon Brown was credited with 619 days in time served by Douglas County District Court Judge J. Russell Derr. Brown pleaded no contest to manslaughter and possession of a firearm while committing a felony. Brown was originally charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Brown’s sentence stems from the Aug. 12, 2022, incident in which he shot and killed Shalonna Houston in an apartment in the Florence Tower near 21st Street and Florence Boulevard.

According to testimony from an Omaha police detective during Brown’s preliminary hearing, Brown was messing around with a rifle in front of Houston. The rifle belonged to another man who lived in the apartment. The man said Brown and Houston were “play fighting” and arguing.

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The detective testified that Houston and the man told Brown to stop messing around with the gun. As Houston tried to grab the gun, Brown shot her in the forehead, killing her.

Houston left behind many family members, including a daughter who is now in kindergarten.

Houston’s mother, Tamiko Jones, described Houston as “my angel.”

“She deserved so much more,” Jones said, her voice breaking.

Brown’s attorney, Douglas County assistant public defender Bethany Stensrud, called the shooting an “accidental tragedy.” Stensrud and clinical health psychologist Bridget Larson described Brown as someone with a low intellect on par with a disability and someone who suffered from substance abuse and ADHD.

Larson testified Brown had a history of violence and anti-social behavior with a checkered employment history. But given therapy and structural support, including vocational training, Brown would be a candidate for probation, Larson said. Stensrud read an apology letter to Houston’s family on Brown’s behalf. In the letter, Brown expressed remorse and called Houston the love of his life.

In arguing for Brown to be sentenced to prison, a Douglas County prosecutor said Brown, during his presentence investigation, did not take responsibility for pulling the trigger. Instead, the prosecutor said, Brown repeatedly claimed “the gun went off.” The prosecutor also said probation would not be sufficient due to the loss of life from Brown’s reckless actions.

Derr agreed with the prosecution in sentencing Brown to two consecutive prison terms ranging from 19 years and 364 days to 20 years.

Under state law, Brown could be eligible to be released from prison in about 18½ years if he shows good behavior.

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