Fatonious Ballard guilty of murder, gun crime

A Shreveport man was convicted of second-degree murder Thursday, October 2, in Caddo District Court, as well as an associated gun charge.

The seven-woman, five-man jury in District Judge John D. Mosely Jr.'s court unanimously determined that Fatonious Darell Ballard, 32, shot and killed Dwight Green, 29, at a barbeque grill near the intersection of Broadway and Cleveland avenues on February 18, 2024. Before Ballard could flee, he was in turn shot in a leg by another individual. The jury also unanimously found Ballard guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Ballard will return to court October 21 for any post-trial motions. When he is sentenced, he faces at least five and up to 20 years at hard labor for the weapons conviction, and a mandatory life sentence without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence for second-degree murder.

Ballard was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys William Edwards and Kodie K. Smith. He was defended by Casey Simpson and Caleb Traylor.

The case was docket No. 400341.