HOUSTON – A man from Houston has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for shooting and killing another man during a gunfight outside a gas station near West Road in 2020, according to Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg.
Percy Dedeounta Semien, aged 22, was found guilty of murder for fatally shooting 20-year-old Jaden LaCour on June 14, 2020. State District Judge Robert Johnson handed down the 65-year prison sentence.
The incident occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. At approximately 11:45 p.m., the two men arranged to meet at a gas station parking lot near West Road and Easton Commons. Although the exact reason for their meeting remains unclear, LaCour arrived with others in a vehicle, while Semien came with associates who parked nearby.
Surveillance footage from the store indicated that their interaction lasted less than two minutes. Semien and a friend approached LaCour and engaged in conversation. Soon after, a struggle ensued between LaCour and Semien, with LaCour being pulled toward Semien. Semien then started firing shots as he retreated.
LaCour sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and abdomen and was transported by ambulance to Ben Taub Hospital, where he later died. Investigators reviewed the convenience store’s surveillance video, leading to the identification of Semien as the shooter.
District Attorney Ogg expressed the tragedy of a 20-year-old losing his life to senseless gun violence and emphasized the consequences for those who resort to firearms, resulting in lives lost and lengthy prison sentences.
Assistant District Attorney Heather Axline, alongside ADA Tyler Arner, prosecuted the case and pointed out that Semien never accepted responsibility for his actions and even attempted to blame his victim.
Axline added, “When you slow down the surveillance video, it’s very clear about what happened. This was not self-defense, and it was not defense of others—we can clearly see the sequence of events.”
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