In the late hours of a Wednesday evening in Hammond, Louisiana, a violent encounter tragically cut short the life of 22-year-old Tyreyon Garner. On December 5, 2018, deputies from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office were dispatched to an apartment complex on Chloe Drive following reports of gunfire. Upon their arrival, they discovered Garner unresponsive on the lawn, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to 36-year-old Christopher
Orlando Bell Sr. as the primary suspect. Eyewitnesses at the scene identified Bell as the individual who had arrived in a silver vehicle, opened fire, and then fled. Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, describing him as a Black male, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing 195 pounds, with multiple tattoos. He was considered armed and dangerous. The motive for the shooting was determined to be domestic in nature; Bell's ex-girlfriend had recently entered into a relationship with Garner. Bell had gone to his ex-girlfriend's residence, where he found her with Garner. A verbal altercation ensued, during which Garner attempted to flee, but Bell shot him.
Two days after the shooting, on December 7, 2018, Christopher Bell Sr. turned himself in to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. During questioning, he admitted to his role in Tyreyon Garner's death and was subsequently booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail. In June 2021, Bell, then 39, pleaded no contest to charges of manslaughter and fraudulent firearm/ammunition purchase. He was sentenced to 45 years with the department of corrections for his part in the death of Tyreyon Garner. The firearm used in the incident had been purchased illegally through a third party.
