Lake Charles, Louisiana - A Houston man has been convicted of second degree murder in Calcasieu Parish for fatally shooting an acquaintance he met at a local casino in 2022.

Eskinder S. Mekuria of Houston, Texas, was found guilty as charged on September 11 following his trial in the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's Office. The conviction stems from the shooting death of Hushiar Faris Sumo, 46, also from Houston.

Mekuria has been sentenced in this case. Read more about the sentence.

According to prosecutors, Mekuria and Sumo met at a casino before leaving together in Sumo's vehicle. While Sumo was driving, Mekuria shot and killed him at the intersection of L'Auberge Boulevard and Sam's Way. After the shooting, Mekuria fled the scene and left Louisiana.

Law enforcement authorities later located and arrested Mekuria in Houston, Texas. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Lea Hall and David Guidry.

Mekuria now faces a mandatory life sentence for the second degree murder conviction. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 25, 2025, before Judge Bobby Holmes.

Second degree murder in Louisiana carries an automatic life imprisonment sentence without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The conviction requires prosecutors to prove the defendant had specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm.

The Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's Office announced the guilty verdict, emphasizing that justice has been served for the victim and his family.

The investigation involved coordination between Louisiana law enforcement and Texas authorities to apprehend Mekuria after he left the state following the homicide.