On a spring afternoon in Shreveport, Louisiana, the life of 55-year-old Darriel Woods was tragically cut short. On May 23, 2019, Woods, an African American male, was walking home from a store in the Caddo Heights neighborhood when he was shot multiple times. The shooting occurred around 4:20 p.m. in the 4100 block of Clover Street. Emergency services rushed him to Ochsner LSU Health Hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, at approximately 4:50 p.m.
An autopsy was later performed by the Caddo Parish Coroner's Office to officially determine the cause of death.
The investigation into the homicide led Shreveport police to 43-year-old Louis Lopez Graves. Graves was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Darriel Woods. In addition to the murder charge, Graves also faced a charge of attempted second-degree murder related to the same incident. The case moved through the justice system, and on November 4, 2021, a resolution was reached.
In a Caddo Parish courtroom, Louis Lopez Graves pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter for the killing of Darriel Woods. He also pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted murder. Following his plea, Graves was sentenced to a lengthy prison term. He received 60 years at hard labor for the manslaughter conviction, a sentence to be served without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension. For the attempted murder charge, he was given a concurrent sentence of 40 years. This plea and sentencing brought a close to the legal proceedings surrounding the violent death of Darriel Woods.
