Antwan McCathron Jr.

Antwan Lavelle McCathron Jr., a 24-year-old Black man, was known for his love of family and friends. His life was tragically cut short in a violent encounter inside a Dayton, Ohio, apartment on the evening of November 11, 2024. The incident that claimed his life, and that of a friend, unfolded over an argument that escalated to gunfire.

The shooting occurred around 6:30 p.m. at the Desoto Bass Courts apartment complex in the 1700 block of West Stewart Street. According to Dayton Police, two assailants forced their way into an apartment and confronted the people inside. A dispute, reportedly over money, erupted, and the intruders opened fire. A neighbor called 911 after hearing five or six gunshots, some of which pierced the walls of their own apartment. When officers arrived at the scene, they found two victims. De’Ja Powers, 29, was pronounced dead inside the apartment. Antwan was found in critical condition and rushed to Miami Valley Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries there.

Dayton Police Department investigators quickly began piecing together the events of that night. Major Brian Johns stated that there had been a "disagreement between the parties that lived there and these two assailants." He also indicated that the victims and suspects were believed to have known each other. The department announced early on that they had identified two suspects but did not immediately release their names to the public. The city was experiencing a rise in homicides that year, with Antwan's death marking the 36th in Dayton from the beginning of the year through November 11, an increase from the 29 recorded during the same period in 2023.

Through witness statements and other evidence, investigators identified one of the suspects as Antwain Williams-Barlow, who was 16 years old at the time of the shooting. On December 18, 2024, just over a month after the killings, Williams-Barlow was located and arrested. The second suspect involved in the incident has been described by authorities as an unidentified male.

In July 2025, the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office announced that Williams-Barlow, then 17, would be tried as an adult for his role in the double homicide. A grand jury indicted him on a wide array of charges, including 12 counts of murder, four counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of felonious assault, two counts of aggravated burglary, and one count of improper discharge of a firearm into a habitation. Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. commented on the case, stating, “Juveniles who commit violent and heinous crimes will be treated like adults [and] we will hold them responsible for their actions.”

Williams-Barlow was scheduled for arraignment on July 15, 2025. He later pleaded guilty to murder as part of a plea agreement. On April 22, 2026, he was sentenced to serve 25 years to life in prison for the deaths of Antwan McCathron Jr. and De'ja Powers. The resolution of the court case brought a measure of justice, though the profound loss of two lives continues to be felt by their families and the Dayton community. The investigation into the second suspect remains ongoing.