Shreveport man sentenced to more than 100 years in mass shooting that began at movie theater

A Shreveport teen has been sentenced to more than 100 years in prison for his role in a deadly shooting spree outside the Tinseltown movie theater in 2021.

Ikerryunt’a Vernell Stewart, 20, was sentenced Wednesday, Sept. 18, to 30 years at hard labor for manslaughter and 10 years at hard labor for each of the eight counts of attempted second-degree murder for a total of 110 consecutive years of hard labor.

Stewart pleaded guilty during his trial May 6.

Stewart, who was 17 at the time of the shooting spree, fired 21 rounds from an AK-47 style rifle into the intersection at Youree Drive and East Bert Kouns Industrial Loop after a separate shooting at the Tinseltown movie theater.

This shooting resulted in the death of 13-year-old Kel’vonte Daigre and injured two others. It also endangered the lives of six others present at the time.

Shreveport Police Department recovered approximately 50 rounds fired by Stewart and his co-defendants. According to the district attorney's office, Stewart and his two co-defendants exited the vehicle and began shooting.

Stewart was apprehended following the shooting and a high-speed police chase that ended in Cedar Grove.

According to the district attorney's office, a search on Stewart's phone revealed multiple messages — sent while he was hiding from the police after the car chase and foot pursuit — in which he admitted to the shootout.

More: Shreveport man pleads guilty to a mass shooting that began at a movie theater

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Man sentenced for 2021 mass shooting that began at a movie theater