Shreveport teen convicted of second-degree murder

A 19-year-old Shreveport teen, Eric Dewayne Green, was convicted of second-degree murder on Friday in the shooting death of 17-year-old Deanthony Walker, a high school student. The verdict was reached by a jury after just one hour of deliberation in Caddo District Court. Green is the first of three defendants to face trial for the incident, which occurred on January 27, 2022, while Walker was walking home from Booker T. Washington High School.

Walker was shot multiple times in the 1300 block of Harvard Avenue and Harp Street, with investigators recovering 26.9 mm and .357-caliber shell casings from the crime scene. Surveillance footage captured a black Kia Soul, reported stolen that day, driving past Walker and stopping before he was approached by the vehicle's occupants. Green exited the backseat and fired 17 rounds at Walker from a Glock 19 while a co-defendant shot at him with a .357-caliber weapon as he attempted to flee.

Further evidence, including location data from Green's cellphone, placed him near the school when Walker was leaving, and school surveillance showed the stolen Kia in the vicinity. The aftermath of the shooting saw police chase the Kia, resulting in the capture of its occupants. A fourth individual in the vehicle later implicated Green and the other two in the shooting.

Authorities also recovered the firearm used in the incident, traced back to a co-defendant's residence, which was confirmed to have fired the shots found at the scene. Additionally, Green's DNA was identified on various items within the stolen Kia, linking him to the crime.

Green faces a mandatory life sentence when he is sentenced on April 14; however, as he was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, he will be eligible for parole. Prosecutors Kodie K. Smith and Bill Edwards led the case, while Green was defended by attorneys Casey Simpson and Harry Johnson.