Charges reduced for suspect in Reserve man’s killing

Published 12:11 am Wednesday, January 10, 2018

LAPLACE — A local man authorities said is connected to the December 2015 killing of Demario Gray was booked on reduced charges last week.

Bryant Hayes Jr., 30, of Reserve was arrested Friday for principal to second degree murder, attempted second degree murder, possession of firearm/carry concealed weapon by convicted felon and illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities.

Bryant Hayes Jr.

Hayes, along with Juan Joseph Alexander, 40, of LaPlace are facing murder-related charges following their initial December 2015 arrests. Police have released few details since the deadly shooting among “acquaintances” that took place Dec. 12, 2015, and left one Reserve man dead and another in the hospital.

Juan Joseph Alexander

Hayes turned himself into deputies three days after the shooting, when he was first booked with attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Alexander was booked two days after the shooting.

At the time, Sgt. Dane Clement said authorities were not releasing what roles the suspects played because the investigation was ongoing, adding the suspects and two victims were all acquaintances.

Gray, 29, of Reserve died a day after the shooting on Dec. 13, 2015.

Detectives identified the second victim as a 30-year-old Reserve man.

St. John deputies first responded to the 1100 block of River Road in Reserve at 12:15 p.m. Dec. 12, 2015, following a gunshots report. Deputies located a man with a gunshot wound at the scene.

A second man with a gunshot wound arrived in a private vehicle at Ochsner Medical Complex-River Parishes emergency room in LaPlace.

Both shooting victims were eventually taken to a New Orleans-area hospital for treatment.

According to online records, Alexander is still in jail, charged today with second degree murder, attempted second degree murder, illegal use of weapons and possession of firearm/carry concealed weapon by a convicted felon.