Man convicted in 2020 fatal West Bank shooting, DA says victim was attending slain friend’s memorial

MARRERO, La. (WGNO) — A Jefferson Parish man has been found guilty of following the 2020 death of a man outside a West Bank bar and grill.

On Thursday night, a jury found 32-year-old Justin A. “Jeeky” Hutchinson guilty of second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Rashad Lewis.

According to a release from DA Paul D. Connick, Jr., the shooting happened around 10 p.m. on October 21, 2020, at 3J’s bar and grill on Lapalco Boulevard in Marrero.

Lewis was at the restaurant with a large group of people celebrating the memory of a friend who had been killed in New Orleans.

Just two hours before the shooting, Hutchinson had checked in at the restaurant on social media.

That night, Hutchinson reportedly used a 9mm semi-automatic pistol to shoot Lewis, who was sitting in his parent’s Mercedes SUV at the time. Lewis was shot in the head once, several times in the abdomen, and once in the pelvis.

Documents say Hutchinson then grabbed Lewis’ .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol from inside the Mercedes and fired repeatedly at the SUV. A total of 17 shots were fired at Lewis and the vehicle.

Surveillance video of the incident shows the two men exchanging words just minutes before the shots rang out. It is unclear what was said.

Shortly after Lewis was shot, detectives say the suspect ran through the entrance of the restaurant and waived a weapon at some people inside before running off.

A JPSO juvenile detective who was driving through the area recalled hearing gunshots and seeing a man in distinctive clothing running from the scene. The detective then reportedly saw the suspect throw a 9mm pistol into a nearby yard, later confirmed to be the one used to kill Rashad Lewis.

Lewis’ pistol was never recovered from the scene.

Hutchinson was quickly identified as the suspect and remained at large for more than 3 weeks before surrendering to deputies.

In Jefferson Parish court on Thursday, Hutchinson was also convicted of obstruction of justice for removing pistols from the scene, on top of two counts of felon possession of a firearm for using both his and Lewis’ firearms in the incident.

DA Connick says Hutchinson was prohibited from possessing firearms after he was convicted of a 2015 aggravated assault.

During the trial, court documents say the defense argued that Hutchinson was innocent and had been framed for the crime. The jury deliberated for more than 3 hours before delivering a guilty verdict.

Hutchinson’s sentencing is scheduled for June 15.