Should 19-year-old Devin Owen Porter, Jr have been out on the streets at the time he allegedly committed a mass shooting in Downtown Shreveport? Some are raising that specific question after it was uncovered that Porter had been arrested on illegal firearms charges previously.

According to the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office, Porter had been arrested on March 29th, 2022 for Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm. He bonded out on March 31st, 2022 on just a $40,000 bond. However, according to the Caddo Parish DA's Office, they decided they couldn't prosecute Porter for the charges. In a release, Ivy Woodard, Caddo District Attorney's office spokeswoman says:

"Our prosecutors found there was no evidence to support the illegal possession of stolen firearms arrest because there was no evidence in the officer’s report that the defendant had knowledge the gun was stolen. The gun had been reported stolen in a vehicle burglary that occurred in November 2020. There was no evidence tying Porter in any way to the 2020 theft."

The same release from the DA's Office appears to place the blame on the Shreveport Police Department. The next quote from Woodard says:

"Additional evidence was requested from  Shreveport Police by our prosecutors. We did not receive the items requested nor did our office receive any response. However, the District Attorney moved forward with the case to keep the stolen firearm off the street." 

So in October of last year, Porter plead down to a charge of Possession of Stolen Things, a misdemeanor. Which gave him no jail time, as the 6 month sentence was suspended. He was given probation, a fine of $400, and was ordered to pay court costs.

The release from the DA's Office says they do not believe that the previous illegal firearm charge indicated that Porter would "commit a crime with deadly consequences".

If Porter would have been made to serve the 6 months, he would have been behind bars the night he is accused of firing multiple shots through Downtown Shreveport. A shooting spree that wounded many, and killed at least one.

Caddo Parish Violent Offenders for March 2023 (Mugshots)

The following mugshots are those who were arrested for violent crimes in the month of March (2023). Those who have not yet been to court are considered innocent until proven guilty.

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