In the quiet community of Amite, Louisiana, a young man's life was tragically cut short on the evening of February 10, 2025. Ry'Shai A. Hills, a 22-year-old Black / African American male, was found deceased, having suffered from multiple gunshot wounds. The St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office received a call about a possible shooting at a residence on Sawmill Road just before 8 p.m. When deputies arrived at the scene, which sits on the line between Tangipahoa and St.
Helena parishes, they discovered Hills' body.
The investigation into the death of Ry'Shai Hills, a resident of nearby Independence, Louisiana, quickly led to a suspect. Law enforcement authorities arrested 22-year-old Darile Quinell Doughty in connection with the fatal shooting. Doughty was subsequently booked on the charge of second-degree murder. While an arrest has been made, the authorities have not publicly released a motive for the shooting or the circumstances that led to the violent encounter. The investigation remains ongoing as officials continue to piece together the events of that tragic Monday evening.
Born on January 23, 2002, to his mother, Shadrienne A. Hills-Tate, Ry'Shai's passing has left his family and community in mourning. Funeral services were held to honor his memory at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Hammond, with his final resting place at Holly Gardens Cemetery. The community continues to seek answers and justice for a young life taken too soon, as they remember a son and a member of their community whose future was abruptly extinguished.
