Man must go to court | News

A McAlester man accused of shooting another man at a McAlester apartment complex in March was ordered to stand trial after a preliminary hearing.

Johnathon Riggins, 19, of McAlester was charged on April 1 with first-degree murder in the death of 35-year-old Tyrann Williams.

Special District Judge Brian McLaughlin ruled Monday that there is reasonable cause to believe Riggins committed premeditated murder.

“The defendant, Johnathon C. Riggins, is hereby held accountable,” McLaughlin’s order states.

An objection from Riggins' defense attorney Brecken Wagner was rejected during McLaughlin's hearing.

Riggins will next appear for arraignment in District Court on October 16 before Deputy District Judge Tim Mills.

Pittsburg County Jail records show Riggins remains in custody with bail set at $500,000.

McAlester Police Lt. Kirk Johnston said McAlester Police Department officers responded to a call from the Park Place Apartments at approximately 6:19 a.m. on March 26.

According to an audio recording obtained via Broadcastify, officers were dispatched to the apartment complex after a caller reported hearing gunshots and seeing a person lying at the bottom of a staircase.

Johnston said officers arrived at the scene and found Williams. The audio recording shows officers immediately requested paramedics to go to the scene. Williams was later pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

According to an affidavit from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, state agents were called in to assist McAlester police in their investigation and conducted several interviews.

The report states that eyewitnesses told investigators that Riggins was standing at the top of a staircase and Williams was walking up when the shooting occurred.

“Williams was not armed,” the affidavit states. “After shooting Williams, Riggins fled the scene with the weapon used in the shooting.”

Riggins was later located in McAlester and taken into custody for the fatal shooting, the report said.