In the fall of 2022, a high school homecoming football game in Bogalusa, Louisiana, became the backdrop for a tragedy that cut short the life of a young man. On the evening of October 14, 15-year-old Jerry Smith was fatally shot outside Bogalusa High School's stadium as the homecoming game was underway. The incident sent shockwaves through the community, prompting an intense investigation into the violence that had erupted at a student event.
Authorities soon identified suspects in
connection with the shooting. An 18-year-old named LaKendall Brown was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, illegal use of a dangerous weapon, and aggravated criminal damage to property. Brown turned himself in to the Bogalusa Police Department in the presence of his attorney. Arrest warrants were also issued for two other individuals, Jerome Wilson and Jordan Smith, on charges of obstruction of justice.
The investigation revealed a chaotic scene where a total of 19 shots were fired from three different firearms. During LaKendall Brown's trial, prosecutors presented evidence of the multiple weapons involved, arguing that the sheer number of rounds fired demonstrated a clear intent to cause harm. The defense contended that Brown had acted in self-defense, claiming that Jerry Smith had fired first. Two gunshots were determined to have come from a gun found next to Smith's body.
In February 2024, a Washington Parish jury found LaKendall Brown, then 19, guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. The jury also convicted him on the related charges of obstruction of justice and carrying a firearm on school property. Following the verdict, Brown faced a potential sentence of up to forty years in prison for the manslaughter conviction and additional time for the other charges, with his sentencing scheduled for April 10, 2024.
