Death by Fame on ID: What charges did Tara Correa-McMullen’s killer Damien Watts face?

The perpetrator behind the 2005 Inglewood gun violence incident, Damien Watts, was a known face among the neighbourhood gang. Watts had opened fire at the East Plymouth Street apartment complex where the budding Hollywood star, Tara Correa-McMullen, was hanging out with her friends.

Five bullets hit Correa-McMullen's torso, and she was declared dead three hours later at a local hospital. Damien Watts had also been involved in two other shootings in October 2005, leading to charges of two counts of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted murder, one count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

Additionally, the jury found Watts guilty of multiple gang allegations, multiple firearm allegations and the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders.

The upcoming Death by Fame episode A Rising Star Shot Down airs on January 22, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery and offers the synopsis,

"Tara Correa-McMullen is only 15 when she rises from the tough streets of LA to star alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars; a romance with the wrong person takes her out of the spotlight forever."

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What charges did Damien Watts face?

Investigation Discovery's Death by Fame episode deals with the 2005 shooting of Tara Correa-McMullen, which led to the conviction of gang member Damien Watts. Per Hindustan Times, Damien Watts had opened fire on a group of people outside an Inglewood apartment complex on October 21, 2005.

On the same day, Tara Correa-McMullen was reportedly hanging out with friends outside the same East Plymouth Street apartment complex around 5:45 p.m. McMullen had allegedly tried to run inside the building to safeguard herself from the shooting but ended up being shot five times in her torso.

Tara was taken to a nearby hospital but she died three hours later as the gunshots turned out to be fatal. Two more men were also shot in the incident, but they survived. With the efforts of the Inglewood Police Department, the perpetrator was identified to be a 20-year-old gang member, Damien Watts.

Watts was already in custody for a separate shooting case, per Today.com, when he underwent trial for McMullen's murder. Per court documents, Watts had been involved in three shootings in October 2005.

He had allegedly shot 31-year-old Thomas Sanders while the victim was reportedly putting his laundry clothes into his car.

Watts faced charges for Tara Correa-McMullen's murder in March 2006, where he pleaded not guilty.

He was subsequently charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder for the October 21 shooting incident. Overall, he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Rebound actor Tara Correa-McMullen and Thomas Sanders.

Watts was also charged with six counts of attempted murder, one count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and one count of felon in possession of a firearm along with allegations of involvement with multiple gang and firearms deals and the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders.

Damien Watts' conviction came through in January 2009, where he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The Death by Fame episode titled A Rising Star Shot Down brings the incident of gun violence to the screens on January 22, 2024.