Louisiana Gang Member Accused of Murder Headed to Prison After Shooting at Rival

Shreveport, LA (KPEL News) - A Louisiana man with ties to a Shreveport gang is headed to prison on illegal weapons charges for shooting at a rival who attended his hearing on second degree murder charges.

The path to his sentencing reads like a crime novel.

23-year-old Devoris Antonio Hardy will spend at least 8 years in prison for both his crimes.

He was first charged with second degree murder in connection with a December 2020 incident. A Shreveport grand jury indicted him on March 25, 2021, and he bonded out after his arraignment on April 6. Hardy was released on $250,000 bond.

Less than a year later, in March of 2022, Shreveport Police were notified that there were people in two cars shooting at one another near a school. When they got to the scene, two people were standing outside a vehicle with a bullet hole in the rear window.

They found Hardy a few blocks away with six shell casings inside his vehicle, but not the gun.

Officers did locate a pickup truck with three different guns in the bed, one of them matching the shell casings found in Hardy's car. The truck belonged to someone who wasn't involved in the shooting, and police determined that Hardy had stashed the firearms there following the shootout.

Hardy admitted to Shreveport Police that, during his hearing on the second degree murder charge, he saw a member of a rival gang he had issues with in the courtroom. They confronted one another which nearly led to a fight.

After court, Hardy's brother picked him up at the courthouse, and they suspected the rival would follow them. He asked for a gun belonging to his friend's father because, he said, he was nervous.

Shortly thereafter, a vehicle approached and opened fire. Hardy returned fire and fled the scene. He admitted that the Glock officers found in the truck bed was the gun he used in the shooting.

Hardy was indicted on the weapons charges in May 2022 and held without bond.

He stood trial on the second degree murder charge in August 2023, and a jury returned a verdict of negligent homicide in the case.

He pleaded guilty to the firearm charges in October and was sentenced on February 22.

He will serve 5 years on the homicide charge and 3 years on the weapons charges, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown is pleased with the outcome of the case:

This is a dangerous individual who has a callous disregard for human life.