Wild brawl erupts in courtroom as teen murderer is jailed for life
By Sonya Gugliara
Daily Mail
Dec 23, 2025
A fight broke out in the courtroom at around 10:30 am between relatives of the victim and the defendant
A vicious melee broke out in a Wisconsin courtroom as a 16-year-old murderer was sentenced to life behind bars.
Parise Larry Jr was convicted of carrying out a fatal shooting at a Fond du Lac apartment complex alongside Antonio Johnston, 19, in May 2023.
Larry, who was 14 at the time, and Johnson, then 17, killed Tatyanna Zech, 20. Two others, an 18-year-old man and his 49-year-old father, were injured amid the gunfire.
On Friday, both teen killers were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Johnston had pleaded guilty to all eight felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide, in January, while Larry was found guilty at a jury trial in October.
But Larry's hearing in Fond du Lac County court quickly spiraled out of control when a fight erupted between his and Zech's loved ones in the gallery at around 10:30 am.
The altercation began in the middle of the proceeding as a verbal argument, but it quickly escalated into a full-fledged fight, according to Fox 6.
Parise Larry Jr was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday
Judge Laura Lavey was heard screaming, 'Stop!' as brawlers jumped out of their seats to confront one another.
Court police officers quickly separated the heated mob, with one woman involved in the fight heard shouting, 'I'm tired of this sh*t!' as someone appeared to hold her back.
'That's a grown a** man talking sh*t,' she continued. It is unclear what initially sparked the dispute.
Some people were brought into the hallway as more law enforcement was called to the scene. Meanwhile, the hearing was adjourned.
As a result of the fracas, an adult woman was arrested and booked into jail for disorderly conduct. Other people were escorted from the premises, per Fox 6.
Those who left the courthouse continued screaming at each other in the parking lot, where a man - identified as the original instigator - was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, police said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Fond du Lac Sheriff's Office and the court for more information on the incident.
When the crowd was finally calmed, and the session resumed about an hour and a half later, Lavey was less than thrilled with the courtroom behavior she had witnessed.
Tatyanna Zech, 20, was killed while she was taking out the garbage at the apartment complex
'To say that I am frustrated and disappointed is an understatement,' she told the room.
Before the judge issued Larry's sentence, the teenage killer apologized for carrying out the senseless shooting.
'I’m going to take responsibility for everything that’s in this case. And I just want to say ‘sorry’ to my family and their family,' he said. 'Hope everybody can forgive me for my actions.'
He appeared stoic as the judge told him that he will be spending the rest of his life in jail.
Johnston also spoke before he was sentenced - taking the opportunity to grovel for mercy.
'I beg you, please just give me another chance to show that I am worth it, and that I am not a disgrace to society and I am not a menace to society,' he said.
'Giving my deepest condolences to the entire Zech family, everybody else who has been affected... I am so very sorry.'
Zech's mother also spoke in court, describing her slain daughter as a 'bright light to the world' and a talented hairdresser.
The fight moved into the courthouse hall way as law enforcement arrived
Brawlers moved into the parking lot, where the verbal altercation continued until someone was arrested
'I ask that when you consider the sentencing for these young men, you truly consider the magnitude of the life that was taken, and the vast dark void that was left behind,' she said to the judge.
According to the original criminal complaint from the May 2023 shooting, reviewed by Fox 11, Larry and Johnston were involved in an altercation with the 18-year-old victim at the Maplewood Commons apartment complex.
Investigators believe that the man, who was shot but survived, was the one Larry and Johnston were going after.
According to security video, Johnston pulled out a pistol and fired multiple rounds in the 18-year-old's direction.
Larry also fired shots at the man, police said. During his trial, he claimed he was acting in self-defense.
Zech was also caught on security camera in the crossfire of the dispute while taking out the garbage. The young woman had nothing to do with the altercation.
Larry and Johnston both fled the scene. Larry turned himself in just days after the shooting, while Johnston was arrested from a friend's house in September 2024 after months on the run.
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