In a tragic turn of events on a Sunday night in Slidell, Louisiana, 19-year-old Javonte Donaldson, a male, lost his life in a shootout that erupted during a drug transaction. The incident, which marked the first homicide in St. Tammany Parish in 2017, unfolded on January 8th near the Baptiste Apartments on Highway 190W. What was supposed to be a marijuana deal between two groups of individuals escalated into a fatal exchange of gunfire, ultimately claiming Donaldson's life and injuring another
man.
The investigation that followed quickly led to the apprehension of five individuals. Authorities characterized the suspects not as members of an organized gang, but as 'wannabes.' The conflict, it was revealed, stemmed from a dispute over a sum of approximately $300 worth of marijuana. Those arrested in connection with the fatal shooting were Anthony Ussin, 26, Christover Davis, 22, Cody Hartley, 20, Joshua Gayles, 22, and Amira Bickham, 19.
Following the arrests, a St. Tammany Parish grand jury handed down indictments against the five suspects. Christover Davis was indicted for second-degree murder. Anthony Ussin, Cody Hartley, Joshua Gayles, and Amira Bickham all faced charges of principal to second-degree murder. In addition to these charges, Gayles was also indicted for attempted second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, three counts of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, and obstruction of justice. Hartley also faced an additional charge of obstruction of justice, while Bickham was also indicted on three counts of attempted armed robbery with a firearm.
