Darrin Joseph Bacchus
By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater man charged in a fatal shooting after a confrontation at Headliners Barber Shop at 12th and Main Street was heard screaming “imma kill yall” when he was arrested, Stillwater Police Officer Shawn Millermon alleged in an affidavit.
Darrin Joseph Bacchus, 25, remains jailed without bail pending a May 2 court appearance at which he can seek a preliminary hearing on a first-degree murder charge that was filed in the alternative as first-degree manslaughter by shooting the victim with a 9 mm pistol in the heat of passion, court records show.
Landon Ray Aufleger, 25, of Stillwater, was pronounced dead when he was found in his car at 12th Avenue and Lewis Street, with an apparently gunshot wound to the right side of his upper body, according to the affidavit.
Bacchus was arrested at Headliners Barbershop Lounge at 5:59 pm on April 14, about 30 minutes after police were sent to the area on a call of shots fired, the affidavit said.
Bacchus was seen in the north parking lot and “seen shooting to the east, but the caller could not see what he was shooting at,” the affidavit alleged.
“Bacchus was seen entering into the business with a gun in his hand on the north entrance of the business. Bacchus exited the business, and the caller advised he still had a gun in his hand but no longer had his white shirt on,” the affidavit alleged.
The victim’s car had “several bullet defects in the passenger side,” and collided with a parked Jeep on the northeast corner of 12th Avenue and Lewis Street, one block to the east from Headliners, the affidavit said.
When Bacchus was interviewed at the Stillwater Police Department the next day, “Bacchus told detectives that he had been assaulted inside the barber shop and went to his vehicle in the parking lot to retrieve a firearm for self-defense.
“Bacchus then told detectives that he had fired his pistol at the silver Toyota in self-defense while standing in the parking lot of Headliners Barbershop Lounge. Bacchus described where the vehicle was parked and stated that the vehicle was backing straight toward him, and therefore he fired his weapon at the vehicle for his protection.”
But witnesses and evidence collected from the victim’s car and at the shooting scene indicated that this was not true, the affidavit alleged.
“Based upon the evidence located on Aufleger’s vehicle, Bacchus was perpendicular to Aufleger’s vehicle when he fired at least one shot — striking Aufleger in the upper, right side torso. This is contrary to Bacchus’s statement that Aufleger was backing directly at him.
“Once Aufleger was hit, he drove east away from Bacchus. Bacchus was seen by witnesses firing additional rounds at Aufleger as he drove off to the east,” the affidavit alleged.
According to his obituary, Aufleger had four children and “worked as an electrician with his father to provide for his family in between his music career,” of writing songs, making beats and rapping.
In his application for a court-appointed attorney, Bacchus said he had worked at “the Union,” for three months but left due to not having enough hours since they were only during football training sessions.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Bacchus could be given a sentence of death or life in prison with or without parole. If convicted of the alternative count of first-degree manslaughter, Bacchus could be given a prison term of not less than four years, according to the charge filed by First Assistant District Attorney Kevin Etherington last week.
