District Attorney J. Collin Sims announces that a Washington Parish jury has returned a guilty verdict against 19-year-old Hakheim Young of Bogalusa, Louisiana, for his role in the January 2024 shooting that claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy. Following a seven-day trial held before the Honorable Judge John A. Keller, Young was found guilty on all counts: one count of Second Degree Murder and two counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder
The conviction stems from an incident on January 11, 2024, in the parking lot of Bogalusa High School during a basketball game. Evidence presented at trial showed that the victim and two friends were fired upon after entering an unlocked vehicle to steal from it. Young, alongside co-defendant Keldric Harry - who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison earlier this year - used an automatic weapon to unleash a "death sentence" on a child over a minor property crime. One of the surviving victims was shot in the leg during the shooting.
During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Gary Tromblay emphasized the extreme nature of the violence.
"It's a cold, cruel world out there - and it's like that because of people like the defendant," Tromblay told the jury. "A 14-year-old boy was gunned down, shot in the back...he didn't have a chance. He bled to death. His body riddled with bullets. He was killed doing something he shouldn't be doing...pulled on the wrong car door…but he didn't deserve a death sentence."
In the state's closing rebuttal, Assistant District Attorney Jay Adair dismantled the defense's strategy, urging the jury to focus entirely on the evidence presented throughout the week.
"Everything you just heard was a distraction," Adair stated, referring to the defense's closing arguments. "When you can't argue anything, you argue everything. Come back behind the curtain with me - I want you to have facts. We know that [the victim] was viciously shot and killed...9 bullets - 8 of them in the back. My hope and prayer is that he closed his eyes and woke up in heaven. He made a poor choice and got a death sentence for it."
District Attorney Collin Sims praised the trial's outcome and re-emphasized his office's unwavering stance against violent crime in the community. "With this second conviction, the message from Washington Parish is absolute: violent criminals who terrorize our communities and devalue human life will be held fully accountable," DA Sims stated. "A 14-year-old child lost his life to automatic weapon fire over an unlocked car door. No family should have to endure this devastating pain. I commend our prosecution team and our law enforcement partners for their relentless pursuit of justice. We will continue to meet senseless violence with the full weight of the law."
The investigation was led by the Bogalusa Police Department with assistance from surrounding agencies, utilizing camera footage, forensic evidence, and witness statements to secure the convictions of both individuals responsible for the homicide.
The Office of the District Attorney extends its deepest gratitude to the citizens of the Washington Parish jury for their service during the rigorous seven-day trial, as well as to the law enforcement investigators who ensured a thorough presentation of the facts.
Hakheim Young will remain in custody pending his formal sentencing before Judge Keller, set for July 27, 2026. Young faces life imprisonment.
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