In a tragic turn of events on the evening of Friday, September 13, 2024, Thomas 'Buddah' Davenport III, a 38-year-old man, was shot and killed in his childhood home on North 14th Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The incident, which occurred around 5:50 p.m., prompted a significant police response. Davenport was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds to the arm and chest, and his death was ruled a homicide.
The day was especially poignant as it was also the fifth birthday of his only daughter.
The investigation into the shooting soon identified a suspect: Davenport's own son, Tymarion Davenport, who was a teenager at the time. According to police reports, Tymarion claimed he mistook his father for an intruder. He stated that he believed someone was breaking in through a third-floor window and that he heard someone coming down the stairs. After yelling out, he fired the weapon, only to discover that he had shot his father. Following the shooting, the teen fled the residence.
During a search of the home, investigators discovered cocaine, marijuana, a scale, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia in Tymarion's bedroom. His arrest did not occur until January 30 of the following year, when he was taken into custody in connection with a separate robbery. While in custody, he provided a statement to the police regarding the shooting of his father.
On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Tymarion Davenport, then 18, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter under the legal theory of an unreasonable belief that he was in danger. He also pleaded guilty to felony charges of carrying a firearm without a license and possession with intent to deliver drugs, as well as a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. For the manslaughter charge, he was sentenced to a term of 11 months and 15 days to 23 months in confinement.
