In the late hours of a spring evening in Shreveport, Louisiana, the life of 22-year-old Zyon Adams, an African American male, was tragically cut short. On May 18, 2021, Adams fell victim to a fatal gunshot wound in the Caddo Heights neighborhood. The incident left another individual injured and sent ripples of grief and shock throughout the community.
Adams was remembered as a warm, loving, and funny young man who worked as a cook and was a graduate of Fair Park High School.
The investigation into the shooting quickly gained momentum, leading Shreveport Police to identify two teenagers as the primary suspects. Jhdarian Martin, who was 17 at the time, and 18-year-old Tramaine Mandigo were soon apprehended in connection with the deadly shooting. The community was further unsettled by the young ages of the accused, highlighting a larger narrative of youth involvement in violent crime.
Following their arrests, the Caddo Parish Grand Jury handed down indictments against both Martin and Mandigo. They were formally charged with the second-degree murder of Zyon Adams. The gravity of their alleged actions was further underscored by additional charges of attempted second-degree murder in connection with the injury of another individual and for an attack on a 17-year-old. An additional charge of aggravated criminal damage to property was also included in the indictment against the two teenagers. The case then moved into the judicial system for prosecution.
