Northshore man awaits sentencing for killing co-worker in fight over texts to girlfriend

A Slidell man could get 40 years in prison after his conviction for killing the boyfriend of a woman he was sending text messages.

"A St. Tammany Parish jury deliberated for approximately 4 hours before finding 25-year-old Brian Montrell Taylor of Slidell guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of 22-year-old Zakary Stewart," Assistant District Attorney Bruce Dearing said in a news release today.

Both men worked at the Hyundai car dealership in Slidell.

"During September, 2022, the two began feuding after Taylor sent Stewart’s girlfriend several unwelcomed text messages.  On the afternoon of September 16, 2022, while both men were at work, tempers flared between the two and a physical altercation erupted."

Dearing says both men punched to other in the face, bloodying their noses before other workers separated the men.

"As a manager steered Stewart away from Taylor, Taylor ran into the service bay and emerged holding a handgun."

That's when he shot and killed Stewart.

"Taylor aimed the gun at Stewart’s chest and discharged the weapon.  Stewart collapsed to the pavement."

The defense argued that Taylor was acting in self defense and that Stewart was the aggressor.

Dearing says prosecutors showed the jury video which showed "the defendant initiated the physical altercation by shoving Stewart in the back."

In the end they found Taylor was the guilty of manslaughter.

Sentencing is set for September 4to.

"Manslaughter carries a sentence of up to forty (40) years in prison.  Because Taylor discharged a firearm during the commission of a “violent felony”, he faces a mandatory minimum of twenty (20) years in prison."