Shreveport, Louisiana



From Shreveport's KTBS.com of June 21, 2004

Man killed after downtown shootout



A man who once was at the top of the Shreveport Police Department's most-wanted list was killed today during an exchange of gunfire in downtown Shreveport.



Police said an argument began at Festival Plaza, site of a weekend festival. Police said Rocky Gilyard, 19, drove up next to a Cadillac sport utility vehicle at Market and Lake streets and opened fire.



The man in the SUV, 25-year-old Chevelle Hamilton, was shot in the buttocks. He returned fire, hitting Gilyard in the chest, police said.



The mortally wounded Gilyard then sped up the on-ramp of Interstate 20, heading west until he wrecked his vehicle at the Interstate 49 interchange.



The Fire Department was called and Gilyard was taken to LSU Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.



Hamilton showed up at the hospital for treatment. His wound was not life-threatening.



Police said the shooting appears to be justifiable and no charges have been filed against Hamilton.



Gilyard at one time was at the top of the Police Department's most wanted list after the fatal shooting of two brothers who were killed in December 2002 as they drove down a North Allendale street. He was arrested for those slayings but the charges were later dismissed by the district attorney.