In the spring of 2013, a burst of violence cut short the life of Prentiss Tyre Britton, a 21-year-old male, in Shreveport, Louisiana. On the evening of May 7th, gunshots shattered the peace at the Cooper Road Plaza Apartments, a complex also known to locals as the Peach Street Apartments. Britton was in the parking lot just before 10 p.m. when a gunman approached him. In a brutal and direct assault, the assailant stood over Britton and fired as many as a dozen bullets into him.
The sheer violence of the act left little chance for survival. Though rushed to LSU Medical Center, Britton succumbed to his extensive injuries about an hour after the attack.
The investigation into the homicide quickly pointed to a suspect. Witnesses at the scene provided accounts that helped Shreveport Police identify 19-year-old Andrew Smith as the man responsible for the fatal shooting. A warrant was promptly issued for Smith's arrest, charging him with second-degree murder. The investigation revealed that later on the same night of the shooting, Smith's mother purchased a bus ticket for him to Memphis, Tennessee, in an apparent attempt to help him evade capture. Smith was subsequently apprehended in Memphis and extradited back to Shreveport to face justice. Smith's mother was also arrested for her connection to the murder.
Andrew Levell Smith's case proceeded through the justice system, culminating in a jury trial in June of 2014. During the trial, evidence was presented that established his guilt in the shooting death of Prentiss Tyre Britton. A jury convicted Smith of second-degree murder. Following his conviction, Andrew Smith was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would be held accountable for the violent end he brought to Prentiss Tyre Britton's young life. The victim's family held a vigil after the conviction, expressing their struggle with forgiveness in the wake of their profound loss.
