On the evening of January 10, 2018, 20-year-old Jalen Ortelli Handy was shot and killed on Sampson Street in Westlake, Louisiana during a prearranged drug transaction that had been arranged via Snapchat. Prosecutors say Handy grabbed a small quantity of marijuana from the vehicle of 23-year-old Derrick Ryan Small and attempted to flee. Small, who had recently purchased a pistol, fired at Handy from more than 60 feet away. Westlake police arriving after a shots fired call found Handy with gunshot wounds; Small was on scene, surrendered his weapon and admitted to shooting.

Small was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. At a five-day trial in February 2019, the prosecution presented evidence alleging premeditation, including a social media post by Small showing his new gun. The defense argued Small acted in self-defense, believing Handy had a weapon. The jury convicted Derrick Ryan Small of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life without parole; Handy’s family gave emotional victim-impact statements remembering him as a good son and a hard worker.

Are there details from that evening or from Sampson Street neighbors that could shed more light on what happened?