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BATON ROUGE - Authorities are investigating another deadly shooting in Baton Rouge.
The latest shooting was reported around noon Monday on North Acadian Thruway near Gus Young Avenue. A man, 25-year-old Courtney Brown Jr., was shot to death according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.
At the scene, police found Brown's car crashed into a utility pole with several bullet holes in the passenger door. Police said he was shot multiple times while sitting at a traffic light.
It's the fourth shooting death reported in Baton Rouge since Sunday morning. It's also the eighth shooting investigated within city limits since Saturday night.
Read more on the rash of weekend shootings across Baton Rouge here.
Mayor Sharon Weston Broome released the following statement Monday afternoon.
As the Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, I am disturbed and saddened by the recent acts of gun violence in our city. The senseless loss of life and injuries are unacceptable and have no place in our community.
To the families, loved ones and victims, I offer my deepest condolences and support during this difficult time. I also want to express my gratitude to the first responders and law enforcement who put their lives on the line to protect our community.
Our commitment to public safety initiatives like Summer of Hope is more critical than ever. We will continue to work tirelessly with law enforcement and community members to ensure that our streets are safe and secure.
We will not rest until we have addressed the root causes of gun violence and put an end to these senseless acts. I implore anyone with information about these shootings to come forward and assist law enforcement in their investigations. Together, we can make Baton Rouge a safer and more peaceful place for all.
BATON ROUGE - Police are investigating a rash of shootings that left three people dead and four others hurt across Baton Rouge over what was roughly a day-long span this weekend.
The first shooting was reported shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday on Victoria Drive, just off Airline Highway. The person shot showed up at a hospital that night and was alive as of Monday morning.
That same evening, around 11 p.m., another person was shot on Scenic Highway near 78th Avenue. That person was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Around 2 a.m. Sunday, a third person was taken to a hospital after being shot on College Drive near Corporate Boulevard.
Hours later, around 8 a.m., police found 52-year-old Tyrone Davis shot to death near the corner of Tuscarora Street and Weller Avenue, just east of I-110. Police said Davis was homeless and was shot by someone during an argument.
Police then responded to another deadly shooting around 10:30 p.m. Sunday on Province Place, off Old Hammond Highway. Abel Palomares, 28, was found dead at the scene.
Finally, officers responded to a double shooting at an apartment complex at the corner of West McKinley Street and Alaska Street, just off Nicholson Drive, after midnight. Officials tell WBRZ that Tony Sawyer, 27, was killed and a second person was taken to a hospital in stable condition after an argument led to gunfire.
As of Monday morning, police have not announced any arrests or released any additional information in any of these shootings.
Earlier in the day, before the latest homicide, Baton Rouge police Chief Murphy Paul spoke about the recent rash of violence.
"I was briefed this morning. This was a hot weekend. We had three homicides since this weekend which probably doubled for the month. I think we were sitting at six or seven for the entire month, so this one weekend was unfortunately something that we haven't seen," he said.
The city-parish has been touting lower homicide rates in the first quarter of 2023. Last week the Mayor-President unveiled her Summer of Hope objective to decrease violent crime. She also spoke about it Monday.
"This substantiates why the Summer of Hope is needed and all of our strategies are needed. I believe just as we have been on a downward trajectory that what we saw this weekend will not be a trend in Baton Rouge and it's always my goal, and it will be a continued goal, to make sure that our people feel safe in the community," said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.
BRPD say, though they believe their crime-fighting initiatives have been working, it's normal for a spike in violence during the summer months.
"Normally there is a trend of elevation of crime that happens throughout the summer. We know that kids are out and there are a lot of activities going on. There are more interactions between people," BRPD Sgt. L'Jean McKneely said.
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