A family dispute that began earlier in the day at a park in Ruston, Louisiana, escalated into fatal violence on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. Thirty-year-old Deontrell Marquis Hunter, a Black man from Ruston, was fatally shot around 10 p.m. in the parking lot of the Y2 Kuts barbershop on South Farmerville Street. Five bystanders suffered superficial injuries in the same incident.

The shooting was linked to an ongoing conflict among extended family members rather than a random act. Ruston Police were already nearby managing a large crowd when gunfire erupted; officers responded, administered first aid, and investigators concluded multiple people in the altercation were armed. Authorities identified 23-year-old Zyheim T. Butcher of Bastrop as the primary suspect and sought him on multiple charges, including second-degree murder and several counts of attempted second-degree murder, along with weapons offenses. Investigators allege Butcher converted a handgun to automatic fire using a device known as a switch.

Butcher was taken into custody in Harris County, Texas, in early May 2025 with assistance from federal marshals and was to face proceedings for Hunter’s death and the other injuries that night. Does anyone have information about the earlier park altercation or the events outside Y2 Kuts that evening?