In the early morning hours of Saturday, March 21, 2015, violence erupted in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans. Bruce Tims, a 20-year-old male, was near the intersection of Bourbon and Conti streets when gunfire broke out around 5 a.m. Tims and another man, aged 28, were both struck by bullets. The two men were rushed to a nearby hospital, but Tims ultimately succumbed to his injuries and died. The second victim survived the shooting.
An obituary later stated Bruce Tims' age as 25.
The New Orleans Police Department launched a homicide investigation into the fatal shooting. Detectives quickly identified a person of interest they believed had crucial information about the murder. Shortly after, police publicly identified 30-year-old Brandon Guidry as the primary suspect in the killing of Bruce Tims. Authorities also sought 21-year-old Aja Doucette as a second person of interest who they believed had critical information regarding the case.
Following their investigation, police arrested Brandon Guidry, who was subsequently charged with second-degree murder. Aja Doucette was later identified as Guidry's female companion and was also arrested. A subsequent court case, STATE v. DOUCETTE, which was an appeal of their initial trial, affirmed the convictions and sentences for both individuals. The appeal confirmed that Guidry was the principal in the shooting death of Bruce Tims, and Doucette was found guilty of being an accessory after the fact.
