why did derrick groves go to jail

Derrick Groves went to jail because he was convicted of second-degree murder for opening fire with an assault rifle at a family Mardi Gras party in New Orleans in 2018, killing two people and injuring others. He was also later found guilty of two counts of attempted second-degree murder and pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in two separate shootings. Before his escape, he was facing a life sentence without the possibility of parole for these crimes. Groves had a violent criminal history, including federal drug trafficking charges as a teenager. He escaped from jail in May 2025 but was recaptured after nearly five months on the run.