In the small community of Larose, Louisiana, a dispute over a bicycle on June 5, 2014, escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 15-year-old Braxton Bourda, a Black male. On that Thursday afternoon, around 2:45 p.m., law enforcement responded to a call about a shooting in the 100 block of East 23rd Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Braxton's body by the roadside.
He had sustained a single gunshot wound to his face and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Braxton was a student at South Lafourche High School, where he was a member of the swim team. He also swam for the Cut Off Hurricanes at the Cut Off Youth Center. Investigators determined that the shooting occurred in the middle of the street, after which witnesses saw several individuals drag Braxton's body to the side of the road before fleeing on foot.
As deputies canvassed the area and interviewed residents, they identified 19-year-old Neely Gardner as a suspect. Gardner, however, could not be immediately located. In the early hours of the following morning, at approximately 1:15 a.m., Gardner surrendered to authorities at the South Lafourche Sub-station in Cut Off.
During questioning, Gardner claimed that the shooting was an accident. He told detectives that he had found the 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the ground near a house. According to his statement, the gun discharged as he was attempting to unload it, with the single round striking Braxton in the face. Gardner admitted that he then dropped the weapon, moved Braxton to the roadside, and fled the scene. He was subsequently booked on a charge of negligent homicide. He also had an outstanding warrant from 2013 for failure to pay fines related to a prior charge of resisting an officer.
