NEW ROADS — Five members of the "Young and Wreckless" gang were sentenced to their automatic terms of life in prison Friday after being convicted of second-degree murder in a trial that was handled as a racketeering case. 

The five were convicted in the Jan. 21, 2021, death of Eugene Jarreau III of New Roads, who was shot several times. District Attorney Tony Clayton said all five men played a role in the killing and he said he felt it necessary to prosecute them together. He said the group was also tied to several other shootings.

"All of you are guilty in Louisiana law," Clayton said. "We're just putting our foot down and pressing on the gas. We are taking these gangs head on. They want to fight the government. Let's see who would win."

Tyzontae J. Davis, 24, was convicted of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and Clayton won second-degree murder convictions of Tyler T. Breaux, 21; Dequan D. Johnson, 24; Nicholas C. Johnson, 22; and Marlon D. Jones, III, 25.

Judge Kevin Kimball sentenced the men. A jury convicted four of the men, while Kimball himself convicted DeQuan Johnson, who didn't want a jury trial. Second-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life in prison.

At the trial, prosecutors said Breaux, Davis, Nicholas Johnson and Jones went to the victim's house around 10:50 p.m. armed with a rifle and three 9mm pistols. 

Another person said he was told to knock on Jarreau's door to draw him outside, and then the gang members shot him 21 times. Prosecutors said Jarreau had "disrespected" Davis and Nicholas Johnson earlier in the day. The sister of one of the gang members also had nearly died from an overdose of drugs obtained from Jarreau, the state said.

A gang expert witness tied the men to the crime through law enforcement efforts and through open source documents such as rap music videos, tattoos, clothing, rap sheets and Instagram records. He also said weapons used by the gang members matched those from multiple incidents. 

Cell phone pings and ankle-monitor records also linked some of the defendants to the scene.

"All five of them were convicted, and the tragedy of it, is that they're all going off to Angola and they will die in prison," Clayton said Friday.

Carl Terrance, a member of the victim's family, said it was still keeping faith in God.

"Right now, the first part of closure has taken place," he said. "So, we're just going to continue to become stronger through it and continue to pray for our community as a whole."