Man charged with murder in triple shooting that killed 9-year-old boy, father in San Bernardino

1/5

Grieving stepfather Leonard Grant, 27, left, and Ebony Newman, 27, mother of 9-year-old Travon Williams in front of the liquor store where the shooting occurred.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

2/5

Grieving stepfather Leonard Grant, 27, left, consoles Ebony Newman, 27, mother of 9-year-old Travon Williams in front of the liquor store where he was fatally shot along with his father and another man.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

3/5

Deon Gains, 26, pays his respect at a makeshift memorial for victims of triple shooting in front of a liquor store in San Bernardino.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

4/5

Jessica Collier, 25, lights a candle at a makeshift memorial for victims of a triple shooting in front of a liquor store in San Bernardino.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

5/5

Residents pay their respects to victims of the shooting in San Bernardino.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

By Brittny Mejia

July 18, 2016 8:45 PM PT

A man accused of killing three people, including a 9-year-old boy and his father, in a shooting at a San Bernardino liquor store was charged with three counts of murder, police said Monday.

Trayvon Brown, 26, was charged in connection with the slaying of 9-year-old Travon Williams; the boy’s father, Travon Lamar Williams, 26; and Samathy Mahan, 25.

Brown was taken into custody July 14, nearly a week after the shooting outside of Superior Liquor & Grocery on Del Rosa Avenue.

San Bernardino police said the victims had been leaving the store about 9:15 p.m. on July 8 when a man armed with a handgun approached them from behind and shot all three.

Mahan was a known gang member and was believed to be the intended target, Police Sgt. Vicki Cervantes said. The relationship between Mahan and the boy and his father is unclear, she said.

The homicide unit received dozens of phone calls identifying the suspect as Brown, a documented gang member, police said.

Detectives said Brown and Mahan were involved in a previous shooting, around the corner from the homicide scene, on June 15. A witness said Brown was shot during that altercation.

According to authorities, Brown reported to the probation department on June 17 that he had been shot in Lynwood during a robbery.

Witnesses told police that Brown had been looking for Mahan and was heard saying that something was going to happen.

“It cannot be stressed enough that the cooperation from the community and the dozens of phone calls from the public led to the arrest in this case,” police said.

Times staff writers Joseph Serna, Paloma Esquivel and Abby Sewell contributed to this report.

For breaking news, follow @brittny_mejia on Twitter.

ALSO

Sewage spill in L.A. forces closure of beaches in Long Beach

Judge throws out ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca’s plea deal, saying six months in prison not enough

Illegal ‘sideshow’ on Bay Bridge leads to arrests in front of CHP office with officers waiting