By CALEB FREY

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – A Garyville man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without parole for his part in the 2004 drive-by shooting death of Lionel &#8220Scooter” Joseph Griffin of Reserve.

Shannon &#8220Shane” Brown, 22, donned a red St. John Parish prison jumpsuit signifying his incarceration in the parish prison’s maximum-security ward as he awaited sentencing from 40th Judicial District Court Judge Mary Hotard Becnel.

Brown was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder in September for the April 9, 2004 shooting which took place in front of Griffin’s residence on East 24th Street in Reserve. Griffin and several friends were standing in the front of the home when Brown and Wendell James, who was also charged in the murder, pulled up in a cream-colored Buick Century and opened fire on the group, according to a report from the St. John Sheriff’s Office.

Griffin was the only member of the group injured and died later that night at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

Maj. Mike Tregre of the St. John Sheriff’s office shied from saying the crime was gang related, but did convey his knowledge on the subject.

&#8220This incident involved a group of young men who seemed to have problems whenever they meet up,” Tregre said. &#8220They’re not organized gangs, just groups of young men.”