ACADIA PARISH — An Acadia Parish jury has convicted a man in the 2021 shooting death of a Notre Dame High School student.
Scott Allen Cooper was found guilty Wednesday of second-degree murder in the killing of 17-year-old Garrison Gautreaux, according to the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said Gautreaux was shot May 16, 2021, while sitting in his pickup truck outside a home on North Polk Street in Rayne. A nearby resident reported hearing a gunshot shortly after the incident.
Investigators said video evidence showed Cooper following Gautreaux’s vehicle into Rayne. Prosecutors also presented testimony linking a 9mm pistol to the shooting, along with DNA evidence and witness accounts gathered during the investigation.
The case involved multiple agencies, including Rayne Police, Louisiana State Police and Houston Police, where the weapon was later recovered.
Gautreaux had just celebrated a state championship win with his high school baseball team before the shooting.
District Attorney Don Landry called the verdict “bittersweet,” noting the years-long process and the loss suffered by the victim’s family.
“This defendant will now face justice for taking Garrison’s life,” Landry said in a statement.
The trial began earlier this month and lasted about three weeks.
Cooper is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Laurie Hulin and faces a mandatory life sentence.
