A New Orleans man has been sentenced to 105 months in prison for his involvement in a 2022 shooting at a gas station. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Dantrell McZeal, 34, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion on September 10, 2025. In addition to imprisonment, McZeal will serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment fee.
McZeal pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025, to being a felon in possession of firearms under federal law. According to court documents, the incident occurred in July 2022 when McZeal and another unidentified individual exchanged gunfire in the parking lot of a New Orleans gas station. During the exchange, McZeal was shot in the leg and fired nineteen .223 rifle rounds. The other individual fled by car.
After leaving the scene, McZeal lost control of his vehicle and struck a light pole at an intersection nearby. He was observed limping away from his vehicle while carrying a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15 semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine. Police later recovered a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine and bullet in the chamber from McZeal’s abandoned vehicle.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. Court records show that McZeal had previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and communities. “On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results,” according to officials.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Orleans Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed prosecuted it as part of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
