Houma police officers had barely cleared the scene of a shooting in the 100 block of Stovall Street on August 29 when a second report of gunfire came in from the same area, leaving a 19-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head and a 20-year-old man with a life-threatening wound to his leg. Two suspects are now behind bars and a third is being hunted by investigators, according to the Houma Police Department.
Gunfire Twice in Minutes on the Same Block
The chaos began around 5:21 p.m. that Saturday, when officers responding to an initial report of gunfire found a 19-year-old man suffering a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Houma Police Department. Officers rendered aid, and the man was airlifted to a hospital, where he remained in stable condition, as reported by WDSU. Officers had not yet finished working that scene when a second report of gunfire came in nearby.
That second call led police to a 20-year-old man suffering a life-threatening gunshot wound to his lower extremity, a wound believed to be caused by a high-powered rifle. The victim was transported to an out-of-town hospital, per the department's account. The rapid, back-to-back nature of the two shootings — one scene barely cleared before the next call came in — has emerged as a defining detail of the investigation.
Two Suspects Charged, Weapons Recovered
Houma police arrested 19-year-old Quincy Jamal Smith and 18-year-old Kentrell Jermone Garner Jr. in connection with the shootings. Smith was charged with two counts of attempted murder, illegal use of weapons, and aggravated criminal damage to property, and he was also booked on an active warrant from a separate incident involving illegal use of a weapon and aggravated criminal damage to property. He is being held on a $1.2 million bond.
Garner was arrested on one count of illegal use of a weapon. The arrests led to the recovery of a semiautomatic handgun and an AK-47-style rifle, both of which are believed to be tied to the shootings. Police are still searching for 21-year-old Jayceon Ayrow, who is wanted on three counts of attempted murder and has a $1 million bond set in the case. The investigation remains ongoing, and the motive behind the gunfire has not been made public.
Stovall Street's History of Violence
The shootings followed an earlier fatal shooting on Stovall Street. On February 19, 2026, 18-year-old Kavon Henry was shot and killed in the 200 block of Stovall Street after being found with multiple gunshot wounds, according to KQKI News. The street has also drawn police attention for other crimes: in June, officers investigated a burglary.
If convicted of attempted second-degree murder, Smith and Ayrow could each face a mandatory 10 to 50 years at hard labor without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence under Louisiana law. The Houma Police Department operates under Chief Travis Theriot, who was appointed by the Terrebonne Parish President in March 2023.
A Violent Weekend Across Houma
The Stovall Street shootings came just one day after a separate shooting in the 4000 block of Southdown Mandalay Road left one person dead and another hospitalized, an incident handled by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office. Hoodline previously reported that the Southdown Mandalay shooting initially left one person dead and another hospitalized, with no later condition for the second victim released. Together, the two incidents involved multiple victims in Houma within a single weekend.
The pattern extends beyond that weekend. Weeks earlier, Hoodline reported that 18-year-old Kasen Verrett of Houma was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting a family member with an AR-15-style rifle, adding to a troubling local trend of teenage and young adult suspects turning to military-style rifles in Houma shootings.
How to Report Information
Anyone with information can contact the Houma Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 985-873-6371 or by email at [email protected]. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region at crimestoppersbr.org or by calling 1-800-743-7433, and tips leading to an arrest may qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
