11-Year-Old Shot Two Police Officers — Judge Gave Him 160 Years Before Parole

11-Year-Old Shot Two Police Officers — Judge Gave Him 160 Years Before Parole

The Orleans Parish courtroom fell into stunned silence on that February afternoon as Judge Richardson prepared to deliver one of the most controversial sentences in American juvenile justice history. At the defense table sat Devon Booth, a boy so small his feet dangled above the floor, wearing a suit tailored specifically for his 12-year-old frame. Just months earlier, this child had taken his father's 9mm Glock, walked out of his New Orleans home, and fired seven shots at two police officers who were arresting his father for domestic violence—killing both men instantly.

"Devon Booth, you have been found guilty by a jury of your peers of two counts of second-degree murder," Judge Richardson began, his voice heavy with the weight of what he was about to say. "I sentence you to two consecutive life sentences with eligibility for parole after 80 years served on each count—a total of 160 years before parole eligibility."

The math was devastating. Devon would be 171 years old before he could even be considered for release. For an 11-year-old boy, it was effectively a death sentence behind bars.

The case had begun on an August afternoon when neighbors called 911 to report another domestic disturbance at the Booth residence on Magnolia Street. Officers Joseph Smith, a 15-year veteran and father of three, and Charles Williams, a 26-year-old rising star in the department who had just gotten engaged, responded to what they thought was a routine call. Body camera footage showed them arriving at the modest home, speaking with Devon's mother Lisa, who had a visible bruise under her eye, and attempting to arrest Devon's father Robert, who was visibly intoxicated and became belligerent.

As the officers wrestled Robert to the ground to handcuff him, neither noticed young Devon slip away from the hallway where he'd been watching. He went to his parents' bedroom, retrieved his father's pistol from the nightstand drawer, and returned to the living room. Without warning or hesitation, he raised the gun with both hands and fired seven times. Three bullets struck Officer Smith in the neck and chest. Two hit Officer Williams in the head. Both men died at the scene.

When backup officers arrived minutes later, they found Devon standing motionless in the front yard, the gun dangling from his hand, an expression witnesses described as "eerily calm" on his young face. He made no attempt to flee or resist arrest.

The evidence against Devon was overwhelming. His fingerprints—and only his fingerprints—were found on the gun, the magazine, and the unfired bullets. Forensic analysis showed the prints indicated "deliberate and firm handling" rather than accidental or hesitant touching. But the most damning evidence came from Devon's own mouth during his interrogation, captured on video with his court-appointed attorney present.

"They were hurting my dad," Devon said flatly, maintaining unsettling eye contact with the detective. "I knew where the gun was. I knew it would make them stop."

In his bedroom, investigators found drawings of guns and uniformed figures being shot, violent video games rated for mature audiences, and most disturbing—a crudely written story describing a scenario almost identical to what had transpired: a young boy using a gun to "save" his father from police officers trying to take him away.

The legal battle centered on whether Devon should be tried as an adult. Defense attorneys argued that an 11-year-old's brain—specifically the prefrontal cortex governing impulse control and understanding consequences—is simply not developed enough for true criminal intent. They brought in neuroscientists who showed brain scans illustrating the massive developmental differences between children and adults.

But prosecutors argued that the severity of the crime and the evidence of planning warranted adult prosecution. They pointed to his detailed fingerprints on the weapon, the seven deliberate shots fired, and his own admission that he "knew" what would happen. After days of hearings, Judge Eleanor Mitchell ruled that Devon would be tried as an adult, making him one of the youngest defendants in American history to face adult murder charges.

At trial, Devon's mother Lisa provided heartbreaking testimony about the toxic environment in which her son had been raised. "Robert always told Devon that a man protects his family no matter what," she said through tears. "He said the police were trying to tear families apart. He said if anyone ever tried to take him away, Devon would have to be strong.