2003 John McDonogh High School shooting
Encyclopedia
The John McDonogh High School shooting was a school shooting that occurred on April 14, 2003 at John McDonogh High School
in the Mid-City
neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana
, United States. The two men killed 15-year-old student Jonathan "Caveman" Williams.
and a semi-automatic pistol. Immediately after students and faculty entered the school gymnasium, the two men shot at 15-year-old Jonathan "Caveman" Williams at least 20 times. Three female students were wounded, and a pregnant senior was trampled by a stampede of students. Jonathan Williams died at the scene and the two perpetrators immediately fled the school campus. The injured recovered.
, attempted to interview witnesses at school and their houses. The TIME
article described the event as having 150 witnesses. Keen said that the students responded to questions from the officers with "shrugs and stares." Keen said that his sergeant said that he feels "like the Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq
. The people in the neighborhoods don't want us here. They don't speak our language. They won't talk to us.'"
gunfire shortly after 9:00 PM outside 2324 Ursuline Street. Brown had a handgun with him at the time of his death; a The Times-Picayune article said that he may have worried about his own safety. Bickham received gunshot wounds to the head and torso and was declared dead at the scene. Roosevelt Brown also sustained head and torso wounds; he died hours after the shooting at the Medical Center of Louisiana. On October 30, a close friend of the Brown family died. 24-year old Kenya Ambrose, a welder
at an Avondale
, Jefferson Parish
shipyard, died at the 2300 block of St. Bernard Avenue three days after the killings of Bickham and Roosevelt Brown occurred; the location of Ambrose's death is within walking distance of Bickham's house. Police believe that Ambrose died because of his relationship with the Brown family.
Investigators believed that the Williams family was not directly responsible for the killings; investigators said that friends and associates of Jonathan Williams tried to avenge the high school student's death by killing everyone that they believed had responsibility for the death, even though the suspects were already in prison.
Jacquielynn Floyd of The Dallas Morning News
said that the story would not have made national headlines if the killers had not killed Jonathan Williams in a school gymnasium and injured three bystanders and instead killed him off campus.
The court system convicted Steven Williams of second degree murder and received a life sentence. Tate pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second degree murder and received a 15-year sentence. On September 20, 2006 four people with less direct involvement pled guilty and received their sentences. Raymond Brown pled guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder and received nine years. Crump pled guilty to accessory after the fact and received five years. Everett pled guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder and received five years. Fulton pled guilty to the same charge as Everett and Raymond Brown and received five years. Everett and Fulton, in prison since 2003, received credit for time served after sentencing in 2006. Crump and Raymond Brown made bail
months prior to the sentencing and faced re-arrest due to a weapons charge.
John McDonogh High School
John McDonogh Senior High School was the 3rd high school for African-American pupils in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. John McDonogh has a vast sport history, winning district in football, baseball, and basketball a combined 83 times in its 109 year history...
in the Mid-City
Mid-City New Orleans
Mid-City is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Mid-City District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: City Park Avenue, Toulouse Street, North Carrollton and Orleans Avenues, Bayou St. John and St. Louis Street to the north, North Broad...
neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, United States. The two men killed 15-year-old student Jonathan "Caveman" Williams.
Details
At 10:30 a.m. on April 14, 2003, two men entered the school property via gaps in the fence armed with an AK-47AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
and a semi-automatic pistol. Immediately after students and faculty entered the school gymnasium, the two men shot at 15-year-old Jonathan "Caveman" Williams at least 20 times. Three female students were wounded, and a pregnant senior was trampled by a stampede of students. Jonathan Williams died at the scene and the two perpetrators immediately fled the school campus. The injured recovered.
Aftermath
After the event, officers commanded by Jimmy Keen, a lieutenant with the New Orleans Police DepartmentNew Orleans Police Department
The New Orleans Police Department has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city is divided into eight police districts....
, attempted to interview witnesses at school and their houses. The TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
article described the event as having 150 witnesses. Keen said that the students responded to questions from the officers with "shrugs and stares." Keen said that his sergeant said that he feels "like the Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The people in the neighborhoods don't want us here. They don't speak our language. They won't talk to us.'"
Later murders
On October 27, 2003 two people related to Jonathan Williams's killers received fatal injuries after an ambush. 76-year old Myrtis Bickham, a retired automobile mechanic and Smith's grandfather, and 31-year old Roosevelt Brown Jr., one of Smith's cousins, received assault rifleAssault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
gunfire shortly after 9:00 PM outside 2324 Ursuline Street. Brown had a handgun with him at the time of his death; a The Times-Picayune article said that he may have worried about his own safety. Bickham received gunshot wounds to the head and torso and was declared dead at the scene. Roosevelt Brown also sustained head and torso wounds; he died hours after the shooting at the Medical Center of Louisiana. On October 30, a close friend of the Brown family died. 24-year old Kenya Ambrose, a welder
Welder
A welder is a tradesman who specializes in welding materials together. The materials to be joined can be metals or varieties of plastic or polymer...
at an Avondale
Avondale, Louisiana
Avondale is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 5,441 at the 2000 census...
, Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
shipyard, died at the 2300 block of St. Bernard Avenue three days after the killings of Bickham and Roosevelt Brown occurred; the location of Ambrose's death is within walking distance of Bickham's house. Police believe that Ambrose died because of his relationship with the Brown family.
Investigators believed that the Williams family was not directly responsible for the killings; investigators said that friends and associates of Jonathan Williams tried to avenge the high school student's death by killing everyone that they believed had responsibility for the death, even though the suspects were already in prison.
Involved parties
The courts found that Steven R. Williams (no relation to Jonathan Williams) and James Tate committed the shootings, while Raymond Brown, Tyrone Crump, Herbert Everett, and Michelle Fulton (a student of John McDonogh) conspired in the killing. The two killers were told that Williams conspired in the murder of Hillard "Head" Smith IV, a boy who was Fulton's boyfriend, Brown's cousin, and a student at Joseph S. Clark High School. Hillard Smith was found dead from gunshot wounds in front of an abandoned house on April 7, one week before Jonathan Williams died. Articles of The Times-Picayune stated that police believed that Smith's friends and family believed that Jonathan Williams killed Hillard Smith.Jacquielynn Floyd of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
said that the story would not have made national headlines if the killers had not killed Jonathan Williams in a school gymnasium and injured three bystanders and instead killed him off campus.
The court system convicted Steven Williams of second degree murder and received a life sentence. Tate pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second degree murder and received a 15-year sentence. On September 20, 2006 four people with less direct involvement pled guilty and received their sentences. Raymond Brown pled guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder and received nine years. Crump pled guilty to accessory after the fact and received five years. Everett pled guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder and received five years. Fulton pled guilty to the same charge as Everett and Raymond Brown and received five years. Everett and Fulton, in prison since 2003, received credit for time served after sentencing in 2006. Crump and Raymond Brown made bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
months prior to the sentencing and faced re-arrest due to a weapons charge.