Shooting shocks neighbors

A shootout that claimed the life of a Houma teen and sent two other young men to hospitals last week is one in a series of recent violent episodes that has Terrebonne Parish residents, clergy and officials seeking new solutions and new approaches to keep other lives from being lost.

“It is time for us to move from ‘amen’ to action,” said Parish Councilwoman Arlanda Williams, who stresses the importance churches and schools must play in stemming a growing culture of violence among teens and young adults, but is adamant that more is needed. “The churches have to help, to give youngsters somewhere to go. We need counseling services. Hopefully, in this child’s death, we can find new life.”

A grassroots, community-based “Stop the Violence” march from Morgan and West Main streets to the Terrebonne courthouse was scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, but has since been postponed. Friday is the day before 18-year-old Corey Butler will be laid to rest, said the teen’s brother, Corion Gray.

Gray is a youth minister who was among young men addressing a crowd of more than 100 people gathered for a memorial last week at the shooting scene.

DEATH AND RETALIATION

Butler’s death is not the only incident that has drawn notice from authorities and civic leaders.

Before October was a week old, 25-year-old Robert Swan was found shot to death in Gibson. Terrebonne deputies made arrests for that crime, which they believe is linked to prior violence. The following week Willie Hart Jr., 36, was shot to death and a woman with him wounded on Roselawn Avenue in Houma.

Charged with murder in connection with that incident was Joshua Swan, the late Robert Swan’s brother.

The Morgan Street incident drew the most emotional public response to date.

“This is the worst I have ever seen it,” said Parish Councilman John Navy, who is encouraging young men with knowledge of street perils to intervene, hoping to beef up mentoring efforts already present in schools and neighborhoods. “There is more that we need to be doing, the community and the schools. We need to look at the whole picture. It is terrifying for those that want to be part of the solution that we don’t yet have answers.”

Finding solutions, Navy and other leaders said, requires acknowledgement of the problem. The Morgan Street shooting, they agreed, is a case that illuminates the point.

Corey Butler, known as “Bugg” to friends and family members, was a charismatic young man who, in high school, earned a reputation for athletic ability and charm.

“He had a contagious personality, it rubbed off on a lot of people, his smile, the sense of humor that he had,” said his grieving brother, 19-year-old Corian Gray. “He could have grown up to be a comedian, he was that funny. He had respect for people, his manners were better than those of a lot of kids. He never lost having a kid’s mindset, even as he grew into being a man he was still a kid.”

The qualities of a child, coupled with involvement in dangerous adult endeavors, made for a mix that some friends say may have cost Bugg his life.

Shunning church and school for a street culture that glorifies drug use and violence, Bugg rapidly steeped into a social network whose web is woven around photos and videos that include displays of handguns and large wads of $100 bills. There are multiple references to “gas” – potent medical-grade marijuana available on the street – in online dialogues.

Online as in life, friends said, Bugg’s brash words and actions rankled a few, even those who looked up to him. But the brashness was tolerated, even by some older than he. Some had respect for Bugg’s father — whose name he bears. Corey “Slap” Butler long ago established street credibility with two felony convictions, state prison time and a string of a dozen arrests. Some on the street called Bugg “Little Slap.”

There is no evidence that the often-incarcerated elder Butler was in his son’s life, nor that Bugg cashed in on his father’s name, or made it part of his own identity.

“Bugg had the flash but hadn’t earned real respect,” said an acquaintance with knowledge of last week’s events. “He was still like a little boy. It excited him to be the youngest of his kind, that’s the attitude he had.”

According to that source and information provided to law enforcement, Bugg, who lived on Prince Collins Street but had set up shop on Morgan, “jumped” another alleged dealer, meaning he had stolen a customer.

Elward “Bayou Boy Bo” Williams, 21, who lives on nearby Square Wolfe Lane, allegedly recruited an older friend and neighbor, 24-year-old Anthony “Bayou Boy Ant” Sylvester, also of Square Wolfe, to teach the recalcitrant Bugg a lesson, although acquaintances say gunplay was not the desired outcome.

Accompanied by at least one other young man they confronted Bugg late last Wednesday afternoon.

Sylvester allegedly slapped Bugg, whom witnesses say produced a pistol.

That, some said, was the game-changer. Fire was met with fire. Witnesses said multiple rounds were let loose, although that claim could not be officially confirmed.

MURDER CHARGES

When it was over Bugg lay on the street, drawing his last breaths. Sylvester had multiple gunshot wounds; 25-year-old Malcolm “M.G.” Bates was shot in the face; A 19-year-old, identified by friends as “Vez” was hit in the shoulder. Elward Williams had fled the scene and the parish.

Elward Williams was apprehended in Baton Rouge and is in the Terrebonne Parish jail, where he was booked for 2nd degree murder and three counts of attempted 2nd degree murder, a parole violation and illegal carrying of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Sylvester, still hospitalized, is to be charged with the same crimes upon his release. “Vez” was released after treatment and Bates remains hospitalized.

Chief Coleman said the investigation is continuing and that further criminal charges may result.

“I don’t agree with these young men, with some of the stuff they do. With some of the young men you can only go so far with them,” said J. Leonard Scott, a long-time Houma tomb-maker who is Williams’ uncle. “With these young men you can only go so far with talking with them. I have seen some bad times here but I know this is worse, all of them playing with guns and you get more killed. They’ve got guns and they shoot.”

The internecine nature of the killing has resulted in confounding mixed messages on social media. Among the hundreds of Facebook posts memorializing Bugg are posts by the same people stating “free Anthony” and sympathetic references to Williams.

The messages are steeped in street lingo and include phrases like “my boy died like a souljah” and loosely veiled calls for retribution, along with a handful of uncomplimentary mentions of the deceased teen.

PLEAS FOR PEACE

The night after the shooting a crowd gathered on Morgan Street, candles in their hands, to memorialize Bugg.

Entertainer and mentor Justin “Deejay Juice” Patterson, whose music is well known in the community, was among the speakers.

Bugg was a leader, he said, despite the turn he had taken, mourning the loss of promise, and the good that the young man might have done.

“I told them everybody is hurting and that what they need to realize is it could have been them that died,” Patterson said. “I told them how they get caught up in social media, always wanting to run to everything with a phone, like running to a fight to record it, they should run to the church when it is open, to the school when it is open and to the job application when the sign says ‘now hiring.’”

A grieving Corion Gray appealed for calm and tried to sow seeds of peace “I was trying to spread the word to the older brothers in the community to protect and watch over their younger brothers,” he said. “I could not accomplish protecting my brother because he didn’t pretty much allow me to, but if all of them the best way they can could try and keep them off the streets in any way they could.”

Chief Coleman said he is personally monitoring the investigation, which has included interviews as well as examination of social media.

“This display of violence is senseless and with the recent shootings and homicides that have taken place over the past few weeks, the community as well as law enforcement needs to bond together,” Coleman said. “We are working to deter this type of violence and come up with some kind of collaboration This is senseless. This is not the way to resolve the situation regardless of what the situations are. It always escalates. As community leaders, churches, schools, we need to teach youngsters how to deal with their anger and not resort to violence. When that happens no one wins.” •

Shooting shocks neighborsJAMES LOISELLE | THE TIMES