Gunman at Southern University fraternity event accepts plea agreement

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a man named Jaicedric Williams, 24, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for firing gunshots into a crowd at a fraternity party near Southern University in 2022. Williams pleaded guilty to charges including illegal use of weapons, illegal possession of a stolen firearm, and unlawful handling of machine guns, as part of a plea agreement where 11 counts of attempted murder were dropped.

Judge Louis Daniel imposed the sentence, giving Williams the maximum prison stints for each of the three charges, to be served concurrently. Prosecutors and Williams’ attorney worked together to finalize the plea deal for weeks. District Attorney Hillar Moore mentioned that holding each participant accountable in the incident of gun violence was challenging due to identifying the perpetrators.

The shooting occurred during a homecoming luau at the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity house where about 1,000 people were present. A fight broke out between fraternity members and Williams’ group, resulting in Williams firing into the crowd, injuring 11 individuals. Williams, along with two other men, Miles Moss and Daryl Stansberry, were indicted in the case.

Moss pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder and received a 30-month sentence, while Stansberry pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to attempted first-degree murder and was sentenced to five years. The trio worked at an auto body shop in north Baton Rouge, where Stansberry revealed to the police that Williams spoke to them about the shooting at work.

Prosecutors mentioned that Williams’ admission to his colleagues at work was crucial evidence leading to the illegal use of weapons charge. During a raid at Williams’ residence post the shooting, police found a Glock pistol modified to function as an automatic machine gun and a stolen rifle. Williams, who had been incarcerated since the incident, mentioned to the judge that he has two children born the day after his arrest, and he has not been able to be there for them.

Judge Daniel urged Williams to make positive changes in his life to be there for his children in the way they deserve.