Second person charged in deadly May 2023 Albany barbershop shooting
A second person has been indicted in a May 2023 barbershop shooting in Albany.
Dejoune Smith, 19, is now charged with murder and attempted murder in the death of Tyrone Staley, 47, who was fatally shot while cutting hair inside Village Barber and Beauty on Second Avenue. He pleaded not guilty.
A 19-year-old man and 9-year-old boy who were also hit survived.
Another man, Timmoure Miller, was arrested last year in connection with the shooting.
Miller and Smith, who prosecutors say went by the nicknames ‘Cruddy’ and ‘Binzoe’ respectively, are both charged with second degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, in addition to other charges. It’s not clear whether one or both of them is accused of firing the deadly shot.
Prosecutor Joseph Brucato told the court he has more than a terabyte hard drive of data evidence to turn over to the defense. He said he planned to file a protective order in the case.
Smith’s defense attorney, Adam Eggleston, along with Brucato declined to comment after the hearing.
Bullets flew at Village Barber and Beauty on Second Avenue in the middle of the afternoon on May 13.
The shooting took the life of beloved barber Staley as he was cutting hair inside. Two other people were injured, one of them, pastor and owner Reginald Graham’s grandson, who was grazed by a bullet as he was getting a haircut.
Graham told NewsChannel 13 back when Miller was arrested, he believed the teenagers’ target was standing outside and took cover in the barber shop—bringing bullets whizzing inside.
Miller was scheduled to appear separately Thursday, but the hearing was adjourned and no new date had been set, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Smith is due back in court on Feb. 22.