Man Arrested for Fatal Stabbing at Shreveport Homeless Camp

On March 21st, 2024, just before 9:00 p.m., Shreveport Police patrol officers responded to reports of a stabbing in the 800 block of Cotton Street. Arriving officers were flagged down by a concerned citizen who told them a man had been stabbed and led them to a homeless camp behind St Luke’s Church.

They located William R. Yost, 47 (unknown address, believed to be homeless) unconscious and not breathing with visible lacerations to his upper body. The Shreveport Fire Department pronounced Yost dead on scene. Officers conducted interviews on scene and were able to identify the suspect as Mykal Dmitri Gillit (W/M 08/29/2001) and took him into custody immediately.

Detectives responded and spoke with multiple witnesses at the camp and through their investigation surmised that the two men had been involved in an altercation and Yost punched Gillit once in the face, Gillit then produced a knife and stabbed Yost multiple times. Gillit was transported to the Shreveport Police Complex and following interviews with detectives was booked into the Shreveport City Jail on one (1) count of Second-Degree Murder.

Witness cooperation was vital to this investigation. The Shreveport Police Department encourages those with information about crimes to contact police immediately and become an advocate for victims who cannot advocate for themselves.