In the late hours of a Monday evening in Shreveport, Louisiana, the life of 55-year-old Bruce Randle was brought to a violent and tragic end. On April 8, 2019, just after 11:50 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of Marshall Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Randle, a male, suffering from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds to his head.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The investigation into Randle's death swiftly led authorities to a suspect. Detectives identified 26-year-old Larry Gardner Jr. as the individual responsible for the fatal shooting. With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, Gardner was taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with Randle's death. In addition to the murder charge, Gardner also faced accusations of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of armed robbery.
The legal process culminated in a jury trial, where the evidence against Gardner was presented. On November 4, 2022, a jury composed of nine women and three men found Larry Delanta Gardner Jr., then 30, guilty of the second-degree murder of Bruce Randle. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence in prison. The court also imposed an additional 18 years for the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Furthermore, Gardner pleaded guilty to two unrelated counts of armed robbery, for which he received a 40-year sentence on each count.
