UTICA — The investigation remains ongoing into why a 20-year-old man shot and killed a 24-year-old man  on Utica's west side Sunday, according to the Utica Police Department.

Accused killer Dontay Horning, of Utica, is scheduled for a felony exam in Utica City Court on Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty at the county jail on Sunday to shooting and killing 24-year-old Kaeron Henderson, also of Utica, authorities stated.

Horning is charged with one count each of second-degree murder and second-degree possession of a weapon. He appeared briefly before Judge F. Christopher Giruzzi in Utica City Court Monday morning.

Utica Police said Henderson was shot and killed in the 1500 block of Whitesboro St. at about 12:15 a.m. Sunday. According to court documents, Horning fired "several rounds" from a semi-automatic handgun at "close range."

Henderson was struck twice by gunfire, once in the midsection and once in the left arm, authorities stated.

A witness at a nearby store heard the gunfire and soon found Henderson's body lying in the grass between the sidewalk and the roadway, police stated. The witness called 911. Responding officers said they found several spent 9mm bullet casings at the scene.

Horning was quickly identified as the shooter and police said he was located and taken into custody later on Sunday. Horning was charged and remanded to the Oneida County jail without bail.

Utica Police have not yet released information on what led to the shooting or the relationship between the two men. Police said they believe there were other people at the scene at the time of the shooting and they are searching for those potential witnesses.

Sunday's shooting was the second homicide in Utica so far this year, and the third homicide in Oneida County.