In the early hours of August 22, 2017, the life of Shakena N. Hampton, a 35-year-old African American woman, was tragically cut short in her Ruston, Louisiana home. The incident, which unfolded shortly after 1 a.m. on Cotton Avenue, also left her mother, Doris Hampton, and her one-year-old son, Isaiah, injured by gunfire. Shakena was in her living room, holding her young son, when her ex-husband, Frank Jauron Stringfellow, began shooting.
She was struck six times.
Despite her grave injuries, Shakena managed to run to the bedroom where her mother was sleeping before collapsing. Stringfellow followed her and shot Doris Hampton three times in the arm. One of the bullets that hit Shakena passed through her body and lodged in her infant son's back. In the midst of the chaos, Stringfellow also reportedly attempted to shoot Shakena's 13-year-old daughter, but the gun failed to fire.
Witnesses saw Stringfellow leaving the scene, and authorities were able to deactivate his car through its OnStar service, leading to his arrest as he walked along Highway 80 in Grambling. The investigation revealed a history of domestic abuse, with Shakena having changed the locks on her home multiple times in an attempt to keep Stringfellow away. Stringfellow was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and illegal use of a weapon.
In November 2019, a jury found Frank Stringfellow guilty of the second-degree murder of Shakena Hampton. He was also convicted of one count of attempted second-degree murder for the shooting of Doris Hampton and one count of illegal use of a weapon. For these crimes, he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder, an additional 50 years for the attempted murder, and two years for the weapons charge, with all sentences to be served consecutively without the possibility of parole. Two other women, Vickie Stringfellow and April Lyons, were also arrested and charged as accessories after the fact to first-degree murder. Following the tragic event, Shakena's infant son recovered from his injuries and went to live with his biological father.
