In the spring of 2025, a family dispute that began earlier in the day at a park in Ruston, Louisiana, escalated into violence, culminating in the death of 30-year-old Deontrell Marquis Hunter. A Black male from Ruston, Hunter was fatally shot on Easter Sunday, April 20th, in the parking lot of the Y2 Kuts barbershop on South Farmerville Street. The incident, which occurred around 10 p.m., also left five bystanders with superficial injuries.
Authorities quickly identified the shooting as
not a random act but the violent outcome of an ongoing conflict among extended family members. At the time of the shooting, Ruston Police Department officers were already in a nearby parking lot addressing a large crowd that had gathered as part of a series of disturbances in the area that evening. Upon hearing gunfire, officers responded to the scene and administered first aid to the victims. The investigation suggested that multiple individuals involved in the altercation were armed.
In the days following the shooting, the Ruston Police Department identified 23-year-old Zyheim T. Butcher of Bastrop as the primary suspect. A warrant was issued for his arrest on multiple charges, including one count of second-degree murder, four counts of attempted second-degree murder, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of manufacture or possession of a machine gun. Investigators believe Butcher used a device known as a 'switch' to convert a handgun into an automatic weapon.
Butcher, who was already known to law enforcement with a history of serious charges, was apprehended in Harris County, Texas, in early May 2025. The U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force, in conjunction with the Louisiana Western District U.S. Marshals Office, assisted in his capture. Following his arrest, Butcher was slated to face legal proceedings for his alleged role in the death of Deontrell Hunter and the injuries sustained by the other victims that Easter evening.
