Five juveniles arrested in connection with Oct. 7 block party homicide

UPDATE, 11/3/23: LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)– Five juveniles have been arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of Devin McZeal, according to the Lafayette Police Department.

Two juveniles, aged 14 and 15, have been arrested for juvenile in possession of a firearm. Two more juveniles, also aged 14 and 15, have been charged with possession of a firearm and illegal discharge of a firearm. A fifth juvenile, who is 17 years old, was also arrested for principal to second degree murder.

Jakyrick P. Charles, 21, of Lafayette, was charged with principal to second degree murder on Wednesday in connection with this incident.

In total, five juveniles have been arrested in connection with Devin Mczeal’s murder. His sister said they shouldn’t have had guns at all.

“They’re 14 and 15. At that age, your frontal lobe isn’t even developed yet. So, for you to be in possession of a gun and be responsible of having someone’s life in in your hands, holding the weight of someone’s life in your hands by using this gun, it just unbelievable. I don’t even think they understand what it means to take a life,” Devin Mczeal’s sister, Amber Mczeal, told News 10.

While grieving the loss of her brother, Amber Mczeal said she also thinks of her community: a community she believes needs to get guns out of the hands of juveniles.

“I just think like this could have easily been one of them. Flip the script, it could have easily been you,” she added.

Amber Mczeal said she doesn’t yet know who pulled the trigger and took her brother’s life or why but does know his murder could have been avoided. She shared a message, hoping to impact even just one person.

“You’re young,” she said. “You have so much potential and so much more to give and so much more to receive. So, for you going away for a gun possession or a gun charge or something to have to do with such violence, you have your whole life ahead of you, and this is what you choose. I just want you to reevaluate that. You have so much more you could do. You have so much more that your life can offer. My brother had so much more that his life could have offered, but that was taken away from him.”

Since the five teens who were arrested are juveniles, their names are not being released.

ORIGINAL, 11/1/23: LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A Lafayette man has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting on Hellen Street Oct. 7, authorities said.

Jakyrick P. Charles, 21, of Lafayette, is charged with principal to second degree murder in the death of Devin McZeal at a block party. Two other people were wounded in the shooting, one of them a minor.

According to Lafayette Police, agents with United States Marshal Service’s Violent Offender Task Force and Church Point Police Department located, arrested and booked Charles on Monday.

Bond details were not released.