In what should have been a peaceful Easter weekend gathering, a senseless act of violence claimed the life of 13-year-old Keandre Broadway. The young African American boy was enjoying his day at Hattie Perry Park in Shreveport, Louisiana, on April 4, 2015, when a dispute escalated into a tragedy that shook the community.
The park was filled with people for a gathering intended to honor those 'lost to struggle' and to support the search for a cure for AIDS and HIV.
During the event, an 18-year-old male named Antonious Cawthorne was reportedly asked to leave the park following an argument in which he had pulled out a handgun. Instead of departing peacefully, Cawthorne began to drive away, only to stop his vehicle and fire into the crowd. A bullet struck Keandre Broadway in the torso. He was rushed to University Health but succumbed to his injuries.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Shreveport Police Department quickly launched an investigation. Eyewitness accounts helped detectives identify Antonious Cawthorne as the alleged shooter. A warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of second-degree murder, with his bond set at $750,000. In the days following the incident, Cawthorne turned himself in to the authorities and was taken into custody. The death of Keandre Broadway once again brought attention to the history of violence at Hattie Perry Park, prompting renewed calls from residents for increased safety measures to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
