Houston Man Sentenced to 99 Years in Prison for Fatal 2019 Shooting and 2022 Ambush

Treveon Mykel Tatum, 23, was sentenced to 99 years in prison by a Harris County jury after being convicted of murder in the 2019 fatal shooting of 19-year-old Ondreus Patterson. Tatum, who had been free on a $50,000 bond at the time of a 2022 ambush that resulted in another death, must serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

The 2019 murder took place on October 26, 2019, in front of Patterson’s home in the Barker-Cypress area of northwest Houston. Patterson and Tatum had arranged a meeting outside the home, where Patterson stepped into the street to talk. As soon as Patterson approached, Tatum exited his vehicle and opened fire without warning. The incident, captured on nearby surveillance cameras, shows Patterson being shot multiple times. Patterson’s family discovered his body outside the home, leading to an investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, which arrested Tatum just days later.

Despite the severity of the charges, Tatum was released on a $50,000 bond, outfitted with an ankle monitor to track his movements. While out on bail, Tatum continued to orchestrate violent crimes. On February 8, 2022, while still wearing the ankle monitor, Tatum and three accomplices were involved in an ambush at an apartment complex located off Ella Boulevard in northwest Houston.

That night, two men were lured to the complex under false pretenses. When they arrived, Tatum and his accomplices were waiting in a parked vehicle. Surveillance footage from the scene shows Tatum and his accomplices exiting their car, with Tatum leading the attack, armed with an assault rifle. He sprinted toward the two men, firing at them in the apartment complex’s parking lot. One of the intended targets was struck but survived the shooting. During the chaos, one of Tatum’s accomplices, 20-year-old John Kelly, was fatally shot in the back of the head.

Kelly, who was seated in the front passenger seat of Tatum’s vehicle, was shot by another accomplice who had been in the backseat. As the accomplice was exiting the vehicle, he opened fire and shot Kelly in the head, killing him instantly. In the aftermath of the shooting, Tatum fled the scene, leaving Kelly’s body behind.

Investigators from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office used surveillance video and witness statements to piece together the events leading up to the ambush. Tatum and the remaining accomplices were charged with felony murder for Kelly’s death, and Tatum was also charged for his role in the earlier murder of Ondreus Patterson.

During Tatum’s six-day murder trial for Patterson’s killing, jurors reviewed the surveillance footage from both incidents. After convicting him, they sentenced him to 99 years in prison. The two accomplices in the 2022 ambush are still awaiting trial.

Assistant District Attorney Phillip White, who led the prosecution along with ADA Matthew Magill, emphasized the danger posed by Tatum, saying, “He has shown by his actions that he can’t abide by any rules, including court-ordered rules, so no one is safe.”

White also highlighted that bullets from the 2022 ambush were found scattered throughout the apartment complex, with some striking nearby cars and buildings. Several witnesses, including parents, testified about how stray bullets nearly hit their children, raising concerns for public safety.

District Attorney Kim Ogg released a statement after the sentencing, saying, “No family should ever have to hear that a loved one was gunned down on the street in front of their own home. We are glad the jury chose to stand with the families of this man’s victims and send him to prison, hopefully for the rest of his life.”

Tatum will serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.