A 24-year-old Houston man is now facing a capital murder charge in connection with a drive-by shooting outside a southeast Houston nightclub last July that left two people dead and 15 others wounded. According to court records, the charge was filed Monday and the suspect was taken into custody earlier that day. The gunfire erupted outside a club in the 6500 block of Dixie Drive, a spot that had already seen trouble earlier in 2025.
Court records reviewed by KPRC Click2Houston identify the suspect as 24-year-old Curvis Lenton, who prosecutors say is also known as "AYO." The documents state the capital murder charge was filed Monday and that Lenton was arrested just after 11 a.m., with his bond set at $2 million. Prosecutors allege Lenton opened fire from inside a car, spraying bullets into a crowd gathered outside the club.
The Shooting And The Victims
Investigators and family members identified the two people killed as 21-year-old Destini Butler and 48-year-old Paul "Junebug" Stevenson, whom loved ones said owned the bar. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced Butler dead at the scene, and Stevenson died later at a hospital, according to KTRK/ABC13 Houston. Authorities have said 15 bystanders were shot, eight males and seven females whose ages range from their teens into their 50s, and most of those injured are expected to survive.
Court Records List Co-Defendants And Prior Conviction
Charging documents name three co-defendants, identified as Jaquavian Alfred, Jessie Alfred and Joseph Raines, although specific charges for those individuals had not been released at the time of reporting, KPRC Click2Houston reports. The records also indicate that Lenton has a prior conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His deferred adjudication in that case was revoked on Jan. 21, 2026, and the documents say he was then sentenced to five years in prison before the new capital murder charge was filed.
Legal Stakes
Under Texas law, capital murder is a capital felony and carries the most severe penalties available to the state, including the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison without parole. If a judge or jury does not find the capital elements proven beyond a reasonable doubt, a defendant can still be convicted of murder or a lesser included offense, according to Texas Penal Code § 19.03. The statute lists specific circumstances, such as multiple killings during the same criminal transaction, that elevate a homicide charge to capital murder.
What Comes Next
The case is in its early stages, and public court dockets did not yet list future hearing dates at the time of reporting. Investigators are continuing to interview witnesses and are urging anyone with information to contact the Houston Police Department Homicide Division or Crime Stoppers, as noted by KTRK/ABC13 Houston. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will now chart the next steps as the capital case moves through the Harris County courts.
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