Valentae Brooks was a 16-year-old from Jackson, Louisiana, preparing to turn 17 and performing as a rapper known as Cowboy Tae. On the evening of November 13, 2018, he was at a residence in Clinton with friends preparing to shoot a rap video in a bedroom-turned recording studio.

According to accounts, a handgun was introduced while they were filming. Valentae, reportedly believing the gun was unloaded, showed it to friends and handed it to a 19-year-old friend, Dedrick Lee. The weapon discharged and Valentae was struck by a single shot. He was taken to a nearby medical center, where he died of his injuries.

The shooting has been described as accidental; other details about the circumstances and what remains unknown are significant to the case. Did anyone in the community witness the events that night or have information about how the firearm came to be present?