In the early morning hours of June 14, 2023, a violent encounter in Mansfield, Louisiana, claimed the life of 20-year-old Kiondric Demarion Woodley, a Black male. The fatal shooting occurred just before 6 a.m. at the intersection of Line Street and Martin Luther King Drive, a grim scene that would soon be crawling with law enforcement. Another individual was wounded in the incident but survived.
Woodley, known to many as 'Skoota,' was a former guard for the Mansfield Wolverines basketball team, and his death sent ripples of grief through the community that had watched him play.
The investigation swiftly pointed to a suspect: 19-year-old Zamir Keshun Massey, also a resident of Mansfield. Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office joined the Mansfield Police Department in the search, urging the public to come forward with any information that could lead to his capture. As the manhunt ensued, details from the preliminary investigation suggested a brutal crime. An autopsy would later reveal that Woodley had sustained six gunshot wounds, with one being a contact wound to his abdomen.
Zamir Massey was eventually apprehended and brought to trial. On July 28, 2023, he was formally charged with the attempted second-degree murder of the other victim, and an indictment for the second-degree murder of Kiondric Woodley followed on October 4, 2023. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that included social media videos Massey had livestreamed in the hours leading up to the shooting. After hearing the evidence, a unanimous jury found Massey guilty as charged. His legal battle did not end there, as he later appealed his conviction, arguing against the admission of the social media evidence in court.
