In the summer of 2016, a violent altercation in Shreveport, Louisiana, claimed the life of 27-year-old Michael Dillard. On July 20th, a dispute escalated, resulting in Dillard being fatally shot. He was a neighbor to the wife of the perpetrator and tragically became a victim after witnessing another shooting.
The incident began when Jerry Jackson engaged in an altercation and shot and killed his own stepson, LaKendrick Brown.
Michael Dillard witnessed this event, and in an attempt to eliminate the witness, Jackson then turned the weapon on Dillard, shooting and killing him as well. The weapon used in both homicides was a. 22 caliber rifle.
Following the shootings, Jackson attempted to conceal his crimes by giving the murder weapon to a friend to hide. However, the friend, after Jackson's departure, contacted the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office and reported what had transpired. This crucial information led Shreveport Police to recover the rifle, which was matched to the evidence found at the crime scene.
Jerry Jackson was subsequently arrested for the murders. His wife testified against him in court, stating that she witnessed him as the shooter in both killings. Following a retrial, Jackson, then 57 years old, was sentenced in Caddo District Court to life in prison for the second-degree murder of his stepson and a consecutive 40-year sentence for the manslaughter of Michael Dillard. He began serving his sentence at the Caddo Correctional Center.
