Franklin police are asking the public for help tracking down a man wanted in connection with a shooting in the Cayce Street area earlier this month, and they're warning residents not to try to find him on their own. Authorities say Jordain Hilliard is considered armed and dangerous and face a slate of violent felony charges stemming from the October 7 incident.
According to WBRZ, the Franklin Police Department requested public assistance in locating Hilliard, who is wanted in connection with the early October shooting in the Cayce Street area. Authorities have issued arrest warrants charging Hilliard with attempted first-degree murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated criminal damage to property, and illegal use of a firearm. Chief Cedric Handy said the investigation remains active, per the same report.
Franklin police have explicitly warned the public against approaching or attempting to apprehend Hilliard themselves, given that he is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact the Franklin Police Department at (337) 828-1716, the outlet reports.
Severe Penalties Await If Convicted
The charges Hilliard faces carry some of the harshest sentencing ranges in Louisiana's criminal code. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:27 and 14:30, a conviction for attempted first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of 10 to 50 years at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, according to court records.
The aggravated criminal damage to property count also carries significant exposure. Under Louisiana Revised Statute 14:55, that charge is defined as intentionally damaging property when human life is foreseeably endangered, carrying penalties of 1 to 15 years in prison and fines up to $10,000, per Elizabeth B. Carpenter Esq. Separately, illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities during a crime of violence carries a penalty of 10 to 20 years at hard labor under Louisiana Revised Statute 14:94, according to the Ikerd Law Firm. All of the allegations against Hilliard remain unproven unless and until a court adjudicates the case.
A Street With a Troubled Recent History
This is not the first time Cayce Street has drawn a major police response. The street was previously the site of a high-profile law enforcement incident in March 2023 involving an armed standoff and brief hostage situation before a suspect's arrest, as Hoodline previously reported. Franklin police have also handled other serious shooting investigations in recent months, including a December 2025 late-night shooting that left a male victim in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head, according to KQKI News.
Chief Handy has led the department since Mayor Eugene Foulcard appointed him in April 2023 following an extensive candidate selection process, KQKI News reported at the time. Handy later launched the Police and Community Engagement, or P.A.C.E., outreach series in February 2024 at the Teche Theatre, an ongoing forum designed to give residents a venue to discuss crime concerns with city officials.
Violent Crime Trends in a Shrinking Parish
Franklin, the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, has an estimated 2026 population of 6,134 residents, reflecting a 7.87% population decrease since the 2020 census and a median household income of $39,518, according to World Population Review. Law enforcement agencies across the parish reported an annual average of 221 violent crimes between 2021 and 2025, with aggravated assaults accounting for 85% of all reported violent offenses, per Map the Block.
If Hilliard is arrested, he would likely be booked at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center in nearby Centerville, which houses up to 320 pre-trial and sentenced inmates for municipal, parish, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies, as Hoodline has reported. For now, Hilliard remains at large, and investigators are continuing to ask anyone with information on his location to come forward rather than attempt to confront him.
