In the spring of 2017, a burst of gunfire shattered the evening calm in Shreveport, Louisiana, ending the life of a young man and triggering a manhunt that would span nearly a decade. The victim was Randy Taylor, a 29-year-old male, who was shot in the upper body on April 27, 2017. The incident began in the 900 block of Ascalon Street, where Taylor was outside a residence when shots were fired from an unknown source.
In the immediate aftermath, an attempt was made to rush Taylor to the
hospital in a private vehicle. On the advice of 911 operators, the driver stopped in the 7400 block of Line Avenue to meet responding emergency medical services. Taylor was then transported by ambulance to Ochsner LSU Health, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Shreveport Police Department's Violent Crimes detectives were called to the scene and began an extensive investigation into the fatal shooting.
Through their investigation, detectives identified Keithon Lovelace as the primary suspect in Taylor's death. A warrant for his arrest on one count of second-degree murder was issued, but Lovelace had vanished, managing to evade capture for years. Investigators received intelligence suggesting he had left the Shreveport area, complicating the search. The case remained active, with authorities persistently pursuing leads.
After nearly eight years on the run, a breakthrough came in March 2025. Detectives received information that Lovelace was living under an alias in Panola County, Texas. Authorities in Texas located and arrested him on unrelated narcotics offenses. Upon confirming his true identity, the outstanding warrant for the murder of Randy Taylor was executed. Lovelace, then 42, was extradited back to Caddo Parish to finally face the second-degree murder charge for the 2017 homicide.
