Florida bill named after Pensacola's Ladarius Clardy to harshen drive-by shooting penalties
Ladarius "LD" Clardy was a standout football star at Pine Forest High School, leading the team as their quarterback, who then went on to play collegiate football with Kennesaw State University after graduating in 2020.
His blossoming football career was cut short when gunmen fatally shot him 14 times in 2021 during a drive-by shooting. Now Florida legislators are working to increase penalties for drive-by shootings like the one that led to Clardy's death, naming a pair of new bills after the Pensacola football star.
HB 807/SB 1050, dubbed the Ladarius Clardy Act, would dole out specific punishments for suspects who participate in drive-by shootings, which Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons says is aimed at treating that type of shooting differently due to their unpredictability and penchant for largescale harm.
"Firing a weapon from a moving platform enhances the danger to the public due to their unpredictable nature, rapid execution and potential for innocent bystanders to be harmed," Simmons said in a release discussing the bill. "Creating legislation that will provide for enhanced penalties for those involved in this extraordinarily dangerous behavior will aid in preventing and/or reducing future occurrences."
Murder trial set: Second suspect in Pensacola quarterback Ladarius Clardy's killing set for trial
What would the Ladarius Clardy Act do?
If HB 807/SB 1050 were to pass, suspects who knowingly and willfully discharge a firearm from any vehicle within 1,000 feet of any person would be committing a second-degree felony.
The bill also says, "A person who attempts, other than for lawful self-defense, to cause bodily injury to another, or causes such injury purposefully, knowingly, or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life by discharging a firearm while in or on a vehicle commits the offense of a drive-by shooting, a felony of the second degree."
Second-degree felonies in Florida are punishable by a maximum of 15 years in state prison; however, under Florida's 10-20-Life statute it's possible the suspect could see additional prison time depending on what occurred during the crime.
If the Ladarius Clardy Act passes during the current session, it would take effect Oct. 1, 2024.
Who is Ladarius Clardy?
Clardy was an 18-year-old quarterback who graduated from Pine Forest High School in 2020.
He was the school's all-time leading passer, throwing for nearly 6,000 yards, and rushed for over 2,000 yards. He went on to play with NCAA Division I FCS Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
In his final two seasons, Clardy led Pine Forest to a combined 17-7 record and led the Eagles to the second round of the FHSAA state playoffs in back-to-back years.
He had been back home in Pensacola for only a few hours before the shooting.
Who sponsored the Ladarius Clardy Act?
Sen. Bryan Avila, R-39th District, sponsored SB 1050. He is currently the chair of the Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee.
Reps. Berny Jacques, R-59th District, and Carolina Amesty, R-45th District, sponsored HB 807. Rep. Michelle Salzman also co-sponsored the bill.
Jacques is the current vice-chair on the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee and is also assigned to the Judiciary Committee as well as the Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
What happened the day Ladarius Clardy died?
Investigators believe that on July 1, Clardy and his former teammate, Eric Young, traveled to a dice game and were spotted by Timothy Knight Jr. and Terrell Parker, who mistook Clardy for someone who was rumored to have taken out a hit on them, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said at an October 2021 press conference.
Knight and Parker contacted Kobie Jenkins, Snowden and his brother Da'quavion Snowden, investigators said. When Clardy and Young left the dice game in Clardy's car, the five men followed them, according to the sheriff.
Knight and Parker trailed behind Clardy and Young in one car while the Snowden brothers and Jenkins followed behind in a second vehicle, investigators allege. Shooters in both of the two suspects' vehicles eventually opened fire at Clardy and Young, Simmons said, firing over 50 rounds into Clardy's car.
Of the 58 shots fired into the vehicle, 14 of them hit Clardy. Young was injured but survived.
Where are all the suspects now?
After Clardy's death in July 2021, the Snowden brothers were arrested Sept. 30, followed by Jenkins, who was arrested Oct. 15. Both Knight and Parker were arrested Oct. 22. All were indicted for their alleged involvement in the homicide.
However, in February 2023 the Office of the State Attorney announced they dropped the charges for Jenkins, Knight and Parker.
"The lawful arrests were made based on probable cause after a comprehensive investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office," a statement said. "The legal standard for the Office of State Attorney to prosecute a crime requires a greater standard of proof beyond and to the exclusion of reasonable doubt. Currently, the evidence does not meet that standard."
A jury found Da'quavion Snowden guilty of Clardy's murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison July 20, 2023.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Ladarius Clardy center of Florida drive-by shooting bill
