In the midst of Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans on Thursday, February 12, 2015, Peter Anthony Dabney, a 21-year-old male, was fatally shot. The incident occurred along the route of the Krewe of Muses parade on St. Charles Avenue, a joyous occasion that quickly turned tragic. Another man, Ivan Williams, aged 22, was also killed in the shooting.
The perpetrator, John Hicks, was later arrested in connection with the double homicide.
Over a year and a half after the shooting, in September 2016, Hicks pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter. He also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and illegally carrying a firearm on a parade route.
As a result of his guilty plea, Hicks was sentenced to a term of 45 years in prison. During the legal proceedings, Hicks offered a brief apology to the families of Peter Dabney and Ivan Williams for the pain and strife he had caused them.
