A late-night shooting inside a Metairie apartment left one person dead and a New Orleans man in handcuffs on Saturday, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called around 10:30 p.m. to an apartment complex in the 2300 block of Severn Avenue after reports of gunfire. Inside one of the units, they found an adult victim in the living room with at least one gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities have not yet released the person’s name, pending notification of family members.
In the parking lot of the same complex, deputies located 23-year-old Shaquille Lemay in a vehicle and took him into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigation details
As reported by WWL-TV, Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said deputies arrived to find the victim in the apartment’s living room, already suffering from at least one gunshot wound to the chest and ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators then found Lemay in a vehicle in the complex parking lot and arrested him there.
Charges and custody
According to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lemay was booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on a charge of second-degree murder. Detectives were still processing the scene and interviewing witnesses as the investigation continued.
Legal context
Second-degree murder in Louisiana is codified at La. R.S. 14:30.1 and covers killings committed with specific intent to kill as well as homicides that happen during certain felonies. The law carries severe penalties and outlines several different scenarios that qualify. As detailed by Justia, the statute spells out multiple ways a homicide can be charged as second-degree murder under state law.
What’s next
The investigation remains active, and authorities say the victim’s identity will be released once relatives are notified, WWL-TV reports. Detectives have not discussed a possible motive and are asking anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office as the case moves forward.
