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2003 John McDonogh High School shooting

SOLVED2003John McDonogh High School, Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · crimes against children — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On the morning of April 14, 2003, two armed men entered the grounds of John McDonogh High School in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, through gaps in the perimeter fence. At approximately 10:30 a.m., as students and faculty were entering the school gymnasium for gym class, the two men opened fire on 15-year-old student Jonathan "Caveman" Williams, shooting him at least 20 times. Three female students were wounded in the attack, and a pregnant senior was trampled during the resulting stampede of students fleeing the gymnasium. Williams died at the scene; the two shooters fled the campus immediately afterward. The wounded students recovered from their injuries.

An autopsy performed by Doctor James Taylor found that Williams had been struck by 10 bullets and sustained a laceration from a lead fragment on the left side of his neck. Taylor also found a pistol in Williams's waistband and determined there were no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of death.

In the investigation that followed, New Orleans Police Department officers commanded by Lieutenant Jimmy Keen attempted to interview witnesses at the school and in their homes. Keen described widespread reluctance among students to cooperate, and a supervising sergeant likened conditions in the neighborhood to deployment in a foreign conflict, describing local residents as unwilling to engage with police.

Court proceedings later established that Steven R. Williams and James Tate carried out the shooting, having been told that Jonathan Williams was involved in the killing of Hillard "Head" Smith IV, a student at Joseph S. Clark High School, one week earlier on April 7, 2003. Raymond Brown, Tyrone Crump, Herbert Everett, and Michelle Fulton were found to have conspired in planning the killing.

In the months following the school shooting, a series of additional killings occurred that investigators linked to retaliation among associates of the two slain teenagers. On October 27, 2003, Myrtis Bickham and Roosevelt Brown Jr., relatives connected to the case, were killed in a shooting outside a residence on Ursuline Street. On October 30, 2003, a third person connected to the Brown family died in a nearby location. Investigators stated that these subsequent killings were carried out by associates of Jonathan Williams seeking to avenge his death, targeting individuals believed responsible even after suspects were already imprisoned.

The court system convicted Steven Williams of second degree murder, resulting in a mandatory life sentence under Louisiana law. James Tate pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second degree murder and received a 15-year sentence. On September 20, 2006, Raymond Brown, Tyrone Crump, Herbert Everett, and Michelle Fulton pleaded guilty to lesser charges related to conspiracy or being an accessory, receiving sentences ranging from five to nine years.

Key facts

Victims
Kenya Ambrose, Roosevelt Brown Jr., Hillard "Head" Smith IV, Jonathan "Caveman" Williams, Myrtis Bickham
Date
2003
Location
John McDonogh High School, Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2003-04-07

    Hillard "Head" Smith IV, a Joseph S. Clark High School student, is found dead from gunshot wounds in front of an abandoned house.

  2. 2003-04-14

    Two gunmen enter John McDonogh High School and fatally shoot 15-year-old student Jonathan "Caveman" Williams during gym class; three female students are wounded.

  3. 2003-10-27

    Myrtis Bickham and Roosevelt Brown Jr. are fatally shot outside a residence on Ursuline Street in an attack investigators linked to retaliation over the earlier killings.

  4. 2003-10-30

    Kenya Ambrose, a friend of the Brown family, dies from injuries sustained near Bickham's residence, in a death police attributed to his relationship with the Brown family.

  5. 2006-09-20

    Raymond Brown, Tyrone Crump, Herbert Everett, and Michelle Fulton plead guilty to conspiracy or accessory charges and are sentenced.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • James Tate

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received a 15-year sentence.

    citation on file

  • Jimmy Keen

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    New Orleans Police Department lieutenant who commanded officers attempting to interview witnesses after the shooting.

    citation on file

  • Steven R. Williams

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of second degree murder for shooting Jonathan Williams; received a mandatory life sentence.

    citation on file

  • Herbert Everett

    CONVICTED

    John McDonogh High School student who pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received five years, sentenced September 20, 2006.

    citation on file

  • Kenya Ambrose

    VICTIM

    24-year-old welder and close friend of the Brown family who died on October 30, 2003, in a death police attributed to his relationship with the Brown family.

    citation on file

  • Roosevelt Brown Jr.

    VICTIM

    31-year-old cousin of Hillard Smith, killed on October 27, 2003, in the same ambush shooting as Myrtis Bickham.

    citation on file

  • Hillard "Head" Smith IV

    VICTIM

    Joseph S. Clark High School student found dead from gunshot wounds on April 7, 2003, one week before the school shooting; his killing was reportedly the motive for the retaliation shooting.

    citation on file

  • Michelle Fulton

    CONVICTED

    John McDonogh High School student and girlfriend of Hillard Smith; pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received five years, sentenced September 20, 2006.

    citation on file

  • Jonathan "Caveman" Williams

    VICTIM

    15-year-old John McDonogh High School student fatally shot during gym class on April 14, 2003.

    citation on file

  • Myrtis Bickham

    VICTIM

    76-year-old retired automobile mechanic and Hillard Smith's grandfather, killed on October 27, 2003, in an ambush shooting linked to retaliation over the case.

    citation on file

  • Tyrone Crump

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact; received five years, sentenced September 20, 2006.

    citation on file

  • Raymond Brown

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received nine years, sentenced September 20, 2006.

    citation on file

Places

John McDonogh High School, Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana

29.9688, -90.0652

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On April 14, 2003, two gunmen entered John McDonogh High School in New Orleans and fatally shot 15-year-old student Jonathan "Caveman" Williams during a gym class, wounding three others, in what investigators described as gang-related retaliation.
Where did the shooting happen?
John McDonogh High School, Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Who was convicted?
James Tate (Pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received a 15-year sentence.), Steven R. Williams (Convicted of second degree murder for shooting Jonathan Williams; received a mandatory life sentence.), Herbert Everett (John McDonogh High School student who pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received five years, sentenced September 20, 2006.), Michelle Fulton (John McDonogh High School student and girlfriend of Hillard Smith; pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received five years, sentenced September 20, 2006.), Tyrone Crump (Pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact; received five years, sentenced September 20, 2006.), and Raymond Brown (Pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit second degree murder; received nine years, sentenced September 20, 2006.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 2003 John McDonogh High School shootingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — nola.govnews · nola.gov · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — nola.live.advance.netnews · nola.live.advance.net · 2026-07-07
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