Gunman sentenced to 45 years in prison for 2022 Greenville Avenue murder

A man who opened fire from a rideshare ride outside a Greenville Avenue nightclub was convicted of murder Friday.

Aries Jones, 31, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Cameron Ray. Prosecutors called for his sentence to be tougher because he already has robbery and firearms convictions. Jones faced life in prison.

Another man, Tivione English, is also charged with murder. His case is ongoing, according to court records.

The jury deliberated on his guilt for less than four hours. Jones bowed his head toward the jury box as Judge Chika Anyiam read the guilty verdict aloud. Then he hung his head and sobbed.

“At this moment, I accept responsibility for my actions,” Jones said on the witness stand during his sentencing hearing.

He looked at Ray's family, who were in the courtroom gallery during the four-day trial: “I'm very sorry. … It was really pointless.”

“I think the sentence was too harsh,” said Jones' defense attorney Michael Todd. “I thought (prosecutors) had a lot of problems with the case, but the jury disagreed, so we'll just have to live with it.”

Todd said he plans to appeal the ruling.

A spokeswoman for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office declined to comment via text message.

Jones and English are accused of indiscriminately shooting at Ray and a group of friends early on March 18, 2022, following a fight in the 3600 block of Greenville Avenue, outside Bar 3606 and the now-defunct OT Tavern.

The murder made headlines when former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph was questioned by Dallas police about the shooting. Joseph, Jones' cousin and a passenger in the SUV, was later acquitted of criminal wrongdoing charges.

Joseph was called to testify but did not take part as a witness. He was cut from the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad earlier this week.

The jury of 12 – six men and six women – rejected a lesser charge of deadly conduct. The jury was also asked to consider whether Jones acted in self-defense. Prosecutors did not have to prove that Jones fired the fatal shot, only that Jones and English acted together.

“My gun didn’t kill this guy,” Jones said.

As the jury left the courtroom, Jones muttered, “This is crazy.”

Jones' defense relied on his belief that shots were fired at the SUV. Jones admitted to extending his arm on the passenger side of the black SUV and firing warning shots. In his interview with police, Jones said people threatened him during the fight and ran after their car as it drove down Martel Avenue. He told police he didn't shoot to kill.

Surveillance video captured the chaotic scene outside OT Tavern and Bar 3606, nightclubs that shared a building: Some of the participants in the fight had weapons and a man with a glass bottle tried to hit people with it, according to the footage and witness statements.

However, prosecutors argued that Jones unprovoked an attack on someone in Ray's group as they were leaving the nightclub around 2 a.m

Less than 50 seconds later, shots rang out as Ray's group exited the entertainment district. The video appears to show muzzle flashes from the SUV and Ray falling to the ground. According to witness statements, the gunmen fired more than a dozen shots.

Jones and English went to Six Flags the next day and eventually to Louisiana, Jones testified. He turned himself in to Dallas police in April.

Ray was hit in the head and died in a hospital. Ray was a college student recovering from a basketball injury. His stepmother Krista Wigfall described him as “cool, calm and collected” and “the life of a family.”

Prosecutors portrayed the killing as retaliation for the fight, and Dimitri Anagnostis called it a “calculated and premeditated” murder.

Todd, the defense attorney, argued that police botched their investigation into the shooting and failed to investigate an eyewitness' claim that someone fired a gun in a nearby parking lot.

Todd also addressed Jones' admission to police that he fired a revolver. Thirteen shell casings from a Glock pistol were found at the crime scene.

The killing led to renewed calls to close the beleaguered nightclubs. Local residents said The Dallas Morning News that gun violence plagued the entertainment strip. Two women were injured in a June 2022 shooting on the same block. The news previously reported cases of serious and sexual assault and criminal activity in this area.

OT Tavern closed in July 2022 following a lawsuit against the company's landlord. A cafe filled the spot.