On the evening of April 2, 2021, a dispute at a birthday party in Shreveport, Louisiana, tragically escalated, leading to the death of 49-year-old DaRon Robert Hardin Sr. Hardin, a male, had accompanied his girlfriend, Jacqueline Lee, to the home of Ken Anderson to celebrate Anderson's birthday and to check on repairs being made to his truck. While Hardin and Anderson were discussing the vehicle, Michael Deon Riley, a longtime friend of Lee's daughter, approached them.
Hardin gestured for Riley not to interrupt their conversation, a move that appeared to shift Riley's demeanor and made Lee uneasy.
Sensing a change in the atmosphere, Lee suggested to Hardin that they leave. The couple departed on foot, heading towards another friend's house a few blocks away. As they walked along Singletary Street, a dark-colored sedan turned onto the street and began moving toward them. In a protective gesture, Hardin instructed Lee to move to the inside of the sidewalk. Shortly after, the vehicle, driven by Riley, pulled alongside them, and multiple shots were fired. Hardin was struck and killed, and Lee sustained a serious gunshot wound to her upper chest.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Shreveport Police investigators quickly identified Michael Riley as the primary suspect. It was discovered that Riley was already in custody at the Caddo Correctional Center on a parole violation. On April 8, 2021, investigators added charges of second-degree murder for the death of DaRon Hardin and attempted second-degree murder for the shooting of Jacqueline Lee.
During the investigation, Riley initially provided an alibi to detectives, claiming he was not present at the party and had no involvement in the shooting. However, Jacqueline Lee identified him as the shooter. Further evidence came to light when Riley’s then-girlfriend testified that he had confessed to the shooting.
In February 2024, a Caddo Parish jury found Michael Deon Riley, 39, guilty on all counts: second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. For the murder of DaRon Hardin Sr., Riley received a mandatory sentence of life in prison. He was further sentenced to 50 years for the attempted murder of Jacqueline Lee and an additional 20 years for the firearm possession charge. The court ordered these sentences to be served consecutively, without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
