In the early morning hours of August 28, 2014, a dispute in Shreveport, Louisiana, turned fatal, ending the life of 22-year-old Dejuan Kennedy. The male victim was at a residence in the 4100 block of Jacobs Street when an argument erupted between him and an acquaintance. The situation escalated dramatically when the other individual left the scene, only to return shortly after armed with a rifle.
The armed man, later identified as 29-year-old Kevin Bowers, opened fire, striking Kennedy
in the upper body. After the shooting, Bowers fled the scene in a dark-colored four-door sedan, leaving Kennedy grievously wounded. Shreveport police officers were called to the home around 1:45 a.m. and found Kennedy, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly identified Bowers as the suspected shooter, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of second-degree murder, with his bond set at $450,000. Bowers was subsequently apprehended and brought to trial. In April 2016, a Caddo Parish jury deliberated for two hours and, unable to reach a unanimous decision on the second-degree murder charge, found Kevin Ray Bowers, then 30, guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Bowers faced a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison, with the judge indicating a lengthy sentence was likely due to his prior criminal convictions.
