'David Makes Man' Star Akili McDowell Charged With Murder in Houston Shooting

HOUSTON (AP) — Actor Akili McDowell, who starred in the television series “David Makes Man” and had roles in “Billions” and “The Astronaut Wives Club,” has been charged with fatally shooting a man in the parking lot of a Houston apartment complex, authorities said.

McDowell, 21, was charged last week with murder in the July 20 shooting death of Cesar Peralta, 20, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said. McDowell remained in jail Monday on $400,000 bail on the murder charge. The attorney who represented him in court filings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“This is an unfortunate situation and I am praying for Akili and those affected by this tragedy,” her manager, Jonell Whitt, said, adding that she had no further comment.

The sheriff’s office said deputies found an unconscious man with gunshot wounds after responding to a call about a shooting at an apartment complex on July 20. The sheriff’s office said multiple witnesses told deputies the man had been in a physical altercation with another man, who fled on foot after the shooting.

“David Makes Man,” which aired on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN, followed a teenager named David, played by McDowell, as he tried to juggle relationships between his magnet school friends and drug dealers in his poor South Florida neighborhood.

According to the entertainment database IMDb, McDowell has appeared in episodes of “Billions” and “The Astronaut Wives Club” and has a role in the recently released film “The Waterboyz.”