In 1992, Japanese foreign exchange student Yoshihiro “Yoshi” Hattori was killed in Baton Rouge. This weekend, the community will come together to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death at a conference held in his honor.

On Oct. 17, 1992, Hattori and his homestay brother Webb Haymaker stopped at the wrong house for a Halloween party. It had a similar address and decorations as the house they intended to go to.

They knocked on the door, but no one answered, so they began walking away.

Moments later, Rodney Peairs, the homeowner, exited the house carrying a .44 magnum.

“We’re here for the party,” Hattori said, walking toward Peairs.

“Freeze,” Peairs shouted.

Hattori didn’t. Peairs fired once.

The bullet entered Hattori’s chest and exited his back. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

U.S. and Japanese media swarmed the case, bringing gun control into the national spotlight.

Though Peairs was eventually acquitted on the slaying, protests were sparked at home and abroad. 

The case also helped push the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act — which requires background checks on people purchasing firearms — into effect in 1994, according to University theatre assistant professor Rick Holden.

The conference will begin today at 7 p.m. with a keynote speech at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge on Goodwood Boulevard. 

On Saturday at the church, attendees will listen to guest speakers, including Hattori’s mother, and participate in workshops discussing the role of the media, the National Rifle Association and politics, among other factors regarding violence.

On Sunday, attendees will celebrate the life of Hattori and hear from his family and friends.

At the end, Holden’s students will perform a “culminating performance on violence and peaceful resolving of issues.”