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• Victims' family outraged after killer's sentence cut in half Play Video

  May 14, 2013 3:45 PM

  CLINTON- Family members of seven victims killed in a crash one year ago in Slaughter expressed outrage today, after a Judge reduced the sentence for Brett Gerald in half. The ruling was made after the Judge reviewed a recent state Supreme Court ruling which classifies vehicular homicide as a... more »

• Crime victims remembered tonight in Baton Rouge Play Video

  April 23, 2013 11:41 AM

  BATON ROUGE - National Crime Victims' Rights Week will be recognized tonight in Baton Rouge. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office is hosting its 3rd annual Flowers on the Lake event at 6:00 p.m. at the BREC Park located at 3140 N. Sherwood Forest Drive During this ceremony... more »

• Blast victims' relatives weigh in on BP plea deal

  January 16, 2013 10:17 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Relatives of workers killed in the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion are sharing their stories with the judge who will decide whether to accept a plea deal that calls for BP PLC to pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties for the 2010 disaster. Wednesday is the deadline... more »

• Stormy issue of Sandy aid settles down in House

  January 16, 2013 4:37 AM

  WASHINGTON - The political tempest stirred up by Superstorm Sandy appears to have moved on after wreaking havoc among House Republicans divided over how much aid to allocate to the victims of the storm. In a 241-180 vote Tuesday night, the House approved $50.5 billion in disaster relief for... more »

• House approves $50.7B for Sandy aid

  January 15, 2013 6:35 PM

  WASHINGTON - The House has approved a $50.7 billion measure for Superstorm Sandy victims. The 241-180 vote sends the measure to the Senate which is expected to take it up next Tuesday. Northeast lawmakers from both parties have been pressing for the aid for more than two months. The Oct.... more »

• Biden meets with gun-safety, victims groups

  January 9, 2013 10:55 AM

  WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden is hearing personal stories of gun violence from representatives of victims groups and gun-safety organizations as he works on the Obama administration's response to the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school. Biden's meeting Wednesday is part of a series he's holding this week to... more »

• Congress to vote on Sandy aid

  January 4, 2013 7:22 AM

  WASHINGTON - $9.7 billion measure to pay flood insurance claims is set for a vote in Congress, boosting prospects for relief for the many home and business owners flooded out by Superstorm Sandy. If the House, as expected, approves the flood insurance proposal today, the Senate plans to follow with... more »

• Newtown holds the first funerals for the victims

  December 17, 2012 3:09 PM

  NEWTOWN, Conn.- The Connecticut town where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults in a school last week has said goodbye with the first two funerals. Services were held Monday for 6-year-old Jack Pinto and Noah Pozner. Jack was a big New York Giants fan, and Noah liked to... more »

• Moments of silence around NFL for shooting victims

  December 17, 2012 10:40 AM

  UNDATED - The New England Patriots silenced their "End Zone Militia" Sunday night, taking the muskets away from the Revolutionary War re-enactors who fire in the air to celebrate every score. The memory of the Connecticut school shootings was still too fresh for the sight of weapons and the smell... more »

• Two shot near LSU trying to wrestle gun from suspect Play Video

  November 20, 2012 5:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Two men are recovering from gunshot wounds to their hands after confronting a suspect who tried to rob two women at gunpoint. Around 1:00 a.m. today, Baton Rouge Police responded to the 700 block of East Boyd Drive near Nicholson. Investigators said it happened while... more »

• Payments coming for Colo. theater shooting victims

  November 16, 2012 5:50 PM

  DENVER - A mediator handling the distribution of about $5.3 million in donations to victims of the Colorado theater shootings says disbursement amounts have been finalized. A gunman killed 12 people and injured at least 58 others at an Aurora movie theater July 20. Aurora Victim Relief Fund special master... more »

• 9/11 kin watch Gitmo hearings from Army bases

  October 15, 2012 10:45 AM

  NEW YORK - Military installations in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland are welcoming families of 9/11 victims this week to watch pretrial hearings in Cuba for five men charged in the terrorist attacks. Seven family members were viewing the Guantanamo proceedings Monday via closed-circuit television at Fort Hamilton,... more »

• Funeral arrangements set for slain deputies

  August 17, 2012 6:58 PM

  LAPLACE - The St. John the Baptist Sheriff's Department released funeral arrangements for the two deputies killed at a LaPlace trailer park this week. Deputies Jeremy Triche and Brandon Nielsen were killed Thursday when they were "ambushed" by a suspect with an assault weapon, according to Sheriff Mike Tregre.... more »

• Thousands expected to honor Sikh temple victims

  August 10, 2012 8:37 AM

  OAK CREEK, Wis. - Thousands of mourners plan to gather this morning to pay their final respects to the six worshippers gunned down by a white supremacist at their Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc. The service will include prayers and hymns and Attorney General Eric Holder will speak.... more »

• Details in 1970's cold case murders

  July 24, 2012 7:36 PM

  Authorities in Oregon released details and names of victims after a man confessed to two murders from the 1970's. Police in Texas say Jeffery Paul Cutlip called them and confessed to killing Marlene Carlson in 1975 and Julie Bennett in 1977 in Portland. Carlson was strangled in her apartment and... more »

• Batman star Christian Bale visits shooting victims

  July 24, 2012 5:02 PM

  AURORA, Colo. - Batman star Christian Bale is in Colorado visiting victims of the shooting at a theater showing "The Dark Knight Rises." A Warner Bros. spokeswoman told The Denver Post on Tuesday that Bale was representing himself, not the movie studio. Carey Rottman, one of the 58 people injured... more »

• Victims' angry family members at court for suspect's first hearing

  July 23, 2012 4:19 PM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo. - A man who watched today's hearing in Colorado where James Holmes made his first court appearance says his son "could have wiped the floor with him without breaking a sweat." The angry words came from Tom Teves, whose son, Alex, was killed along with 11 others in... more »

• President orders flags flown at half-staff

  July 20, 2012 3:56 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is ordering the American flag lowered to half-staff as a mark of respect for the victims of the shootings in Aurora, Colo. The president's order extends to the White House, all public buildings and grounds, all U.S. military posts and U.S. diplomatic offices abroad. The... more »

• Wildfire victims crowd shelters as fight continues

  June 27, 2012 5:57 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Winds are pushing a raging Colorado Springs wildfire back toward where homes burned a night earlier, as crews fight to save the U.S. Air Force Academy and houses that had escaped damage. Incident commander Rich Harvey said Wednesday that winds have been shifting since the fire... more »

• Sandusky jurors hear of 2 more alleged victims

  June 13, 2012 7:10 AM

  BELLEFONTE, Pa. - Testimony in Jerry Sandusky's child molestation trial enters its third day today as prosecutors continue building their case against the former Penn State assistant coach. The 68-year-old Sandusky has denied allegations of abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. He sat stone-faced Tuesday as one of his... more »

• Benefit planned for crash victims

  June 5, 2012 4:41 PM

  SLAUGHTER - People in East Feliciana Parish organized a beneft concert for later this week to support the family of seven people hurt or killed in a car crash. Six members of John Gaines Sr.'s family were killed by an accused drunk driver, Brett Gerald, last week. A seventh... more »

• Seven arrested in asphalt scheme across two states Play Video

  May 25, 2012 10:44 AM

  LIVINGSTON - Authorities arrested seven people in Livingston Parish in suspicion of running an asphalt paving scam that bilked tens of thousands of dollars from numerous victims. Perry Rushing with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said the seven were arrested over the course of the past month, following an... more »

• Man accused of defrauding spill victims' fund

  May 15, 2012 7:32 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Federal prosecutors say a 41-year-old businessman who moved to New Orleans from Georgia after the catastrophic BP oil spill in 2010 has been charged with defrauding a compensation fund set up for victims. The Justice Department says Dwayne Smith was charged last week on one count of... more »

• Victims of crime remembered in Baton Rouge

  April 24, 2012 9:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE- This evening dozens will gather to remember victims of crime near the LSU Lakes. The event is called "Flowers on the Lake" and will honor victims who lost their lives. News 2's Chris Nakamoto will have more on the event coming up at six. more »

• Family of Deepwater Horizon victim reflects on loss two years later

  April 20, 2012 9:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Two years without Gordon Jones is still a hard reality for his father Keith. "I feel angry, disappointed, I feel cheated," he said. Gordon, 28-years-old when he died, had a wife, 2-year-old son Stafford, and baby boy Max on the way, he would never meet. But... more »

• Murder victims cannibalized in Brazil

  April 19, 2012 2:50 PM

  SAO PAULO - Police say three murder suspects killed at least two women and ate parts of their bodies may have murdered another five people in northeastern Brazil. Police spokesman Carlos Leite says investigators suspect the trio murdered five women in the state of Pernambuco and one in neighboring Paraiba.... more »

• BP expects to pay $7.8B in Gulf spill suit deal

  March 3, 2012 10:56 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP's settlement of lawsuits filed by more than 100,000 victims of the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history goes a long way toward resolving pending claims. But the question remains, will Americans who live along the Gulf of Mexico go for it? BP expects to... more »

• Happy ending for Ascension Parish fire victims Play Video

  March 1, 2012 5:18 PM

  GONZALES- A woman whose family was torn apart after a fire in Ascension Parish got better news than she could ever expect. Spicey Melancon's home burned down in January, leaving her 12 family members without a home and dispersed around the state. "It was heartbreaking, to know that... more »

• Prosecutor: School shooter chose random victims

  February 28, 2012 3:19 PM

  CHARDON, Ohio - A prosecutor says the 17-year-old suspect in a fatal Ohio school shooting didn't know his victims and chose them randomly. Prosecutor David Joyce said at Tuesday's hearing in Chardon, Ohio, that suspect T.J. Lane admitted firing 10 shots at Chardon High School. At the hearing, Judge Timothy... more »

• Workers suffer body burns after boat explosion

  February 15, 2012 5:45 PM

  HOUMA - Terrebonne Parish deputies responded to a medical emergency at a work dock Wednesday afternoon to find victims with burned bodies from a boat explosion. The victims were working on a wire line spud barge at A & W Wire Line Co. at the intersection of Savanne Rd.... more »

• Victims identified in deadly fire in Livingston Parish

  February 15, 2012 2:45 PM

  HOLDEN - State fire marshal H. "Butch" Browning says a mobile home fire in Holden killed a 30-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter. He says the father and three other children were injured but made it out. One child told firefighters she escaped by using a school safety lesson... more »

• Victims identified in deadly wrong-way crash Play Video

  February 10, 2012 3:18 PM

  LAPLACE - State Troopers identified the five victims from an overnight crash Friday, involving a car going the wrong way on I-10 west of LA 3188 in St. John Parish. Lawayne Rice of Zachary, Terrell Sims of Slaughter, and Louis Brown and Dondray London of Baton Rouge, were killed... more »

• Shooting victims seek treatment at Woman's Hospital

  February 9, 2012 5:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Police roped off a section of Woman's Hospital early this morning after victims of a nearby shooting turned up on the premises. The victims arrived at the hospital just before 1 a.m. Officials say police were responding to a shots fired call at the intersection... more »

• Volunteer projects pay off for victims of fire in Ascension Play Video

  January 16, 2012 10:46 PM

  GONZALES- A family of 12 put out by a fire Sunday morning is safe tonight in a temporary home built by volunteers. The family narrowly escaped an explosion at their trailer in Gonzales. One family member was burned when the oxygen machine he was using went up in flames.... more »

• Texas shooting victims had just opened gifts

  December 26, 2011 6:45 AM

  GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) - Police say the seven people who were found shot to death in a Dallas-area apartment Sunday had apparently opened their Christmas gifts and had started cleaning up the wrapping paper when they were shot. Authorities believe the seven people were related and that the shooter was... more »

• BRPD investigates two morning shootings Play Video

  November 30, 2011 6:03 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A man is dead and three others are injured following two separate early morning shootings in Baton Rouge. Police identified the victim as Wykendrick Kemp, 20, of 4242 Gurney St and say that robbery seems to be the motive. Police responded to a call on... more »

• Helicopter maker settles claims over 2009 crash

  October 27, 2011 2:31 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The manufacturer of a helicopter that crashed in Louisiana in 2009, killing eight people, has agreed to settlements with families of several crash victims who sued the company. Plaintiffs' attorneys say Stratford, Conn.-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. reached agreements this week with relatives of at least five... more »

• Temporary pet shelter built in St. Landry Parish

  May 17, 2011 11:10 AM

  OPELOUSAS - State workers are moving supplies to St. Landry Parish to create a temporary pet evacuation center for flood victims. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is moving 50 pet cages to Opelousas to make temporary kennels for pets whose owners self-evacuated from flood areas and are staying... more »

• Victims identified in Baton Rouge business shooting

  March 28, 2011 2:18 PM

  UPDATE: BATON ROUGE - Sheriff's deputies released the names of the men killed in a shooting at a Baton Rouge business over the weekend. Major Lawrence McLeary says Randy Cheney and Edward Gurtner were shot inside the Carquest Auto Parts store near the intersection of Airline Highway and Siegen... more »

• 2 wounded in shooting overnight

  March 20, 2011 10:04 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Baton Rouge Police are investigating a shooting that sent two people to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. It happened overnight between Don Carter's All Star Lanes and Walmart Neighborhood Market on the corner of Airline Hwy at Old Hammond Hwy. According to investigators a group of... more »

• Rayne tornado victims survey the damage

  March 7, 2011 12:37 PM

  RAYNE - Homeowners on the west side of Rayne returned to try and pick up the pieces after a tornado left a path of destruction five miles long. One person was killed and 12 injured when the storm moved through Saturday. According to the National Weather Service at least... more »

• Red Cross finds housing for apartment fire victims

  February 8, 2011 6:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - More than 40 people, homeless after an apartment fire in Baton Rouge, will have a place to stay tonight. The fire started Monday night at an apartment complex on North Carrollton Drive. Most of the people living at the complex, known as Hope Village, have psychological... more »

• BRPD: Shooting victims found in trunk of car

  February 7, 2011 5:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Police are investigating the deaths of two people in Baton Rouge after they were found shot to death in the trunk of a vehicle today. Sgt. Don Stone with BRPD said the vehicle was parked in the 6200 block of Dutton Street, and the bodies were found... more »

• Some victims in New Orleans warehouse fire ID'd

  December 31, 2010 11:59 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans' coroner's office has released the identities of four of the eight young victims who died when a fire destroyed the abandoned warehouse where they were trying to keep warm. They were 20-year-old Jonathan Guerrero from Texas; 17-year-old Melissa Martinez from Scotts Valley, Calif.; 22-year-old Jeffrey... more »

• Victims identified in Acadia Parish plane crash

  December 19, 2010 2:39 PM

  CROWLEY, La.- The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office has identified the victims in Saturday's plane crash at LeGros Memorial Airport in Estherwood. Killed in the crash were Jeffery Dille, 56 of Sulphur who was the pilot of the Cessna 182. Also killed were passengers Wendell Keith Nielson, 63 of Lafayette and... more »

• Gulf spill fund gets flood of last-minute claims

  November 24, 2010 12:16 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The administrator of a $20 billion fund set up to pay for damages from the Gulf oil spill says he received a flood of last-minute emergency claims before a key deadline ended. Kenneth Feinberg said Wednesday that most of those claims likely will be denied because... more »

• Top defense officials honor 9/11 Pentagon victims

  September 11, 2010 10:20 AM

  The nation's top defense officials remembered victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, also honoring sacrifices the military has made in the war that followed that day's carnage. "We honor them with our presence and certainly with this memorial," Adm. Mike Mullen said at a Pentagon ceremony... more »

• Man arrested in LSU standoff taken to Calcasieu Parish

  September 10, 2010 4:06 PM

  The man arrested after an hour-long standoff with authorities in Baton Rouge is now in Calcasieu Parish, where he faces tough questions about the murders of four people there. 52-year-old Lee Roy Williams Jr. was brought to the Calcasieu Parish jail before dawn Friday, and hid his face in his... more »

• Fort Polk bells to toll on Sept. 11

  September 9, 2010 5:28 AM

  The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk will hold a ceremony Friday to remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The 9/11 Day of Remembrance ceremony will also honor all military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and contractors who have died in service. The ceremony starts... more »

• Oil spill adds to housing woes for Katrina victims

  August 21, 2010 12:04 PM

  Hundreds of people who have been living in Mississippi-owned cottages since Hurricane Katrina are now under pressure to buy the homes or move out. The BP oil spill has made things a lot worse for many of the 800 or so households living in the roughly 400-square-foot cottages. Some of... more »

• Pierre Part house fire victims identified

  August 6, 2010 11:44 AM

  Two toddlers and their grandfather died in an early morning fire in Pierre Part that also injured the children's grandmother. State Fire Marshall Butch Browning says investigators don't yet know what started the blaze that killed 61-year-old Michael G. Saucier, of Pierre Part, 2-year-old Jacob Saucier and 3-year-old Ava... more »

• Loans for Gulf victims

  July 14, 2010 11:18 AM

  Regulators are urging banks to make loans to creditworthy people and businesses who have been hurt by the oil spill. The federal agencies say the efforts can help local communities that are hit hard: "Banks can help customers recover financially and be better positioned to honor their obligations." more »

• BP agrees to fund for victims

  June 16, 2010 11:38 AM

  BP has agreed to finance a $20 billion fund to pay the claims of people whose jobs and way of life have been damaged by the oil spill. The independent fund will be led by lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw payments to families of victims of the Sept. 11th... more »

• Contractor pleads guilty to fraud charges

  May 20, 2010 5:29 AM

  A New Orleans contractor charged with two counts of felony theft for work he didn't do for Hurricane Katrina victims pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 10 years on each count. Kevin Meadows was also ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution. The 10-year sentences were ordered served consecutively, but... more »

• Families of rig explosion victims still grieving

  May 4, 2010 10:50 AM

  Eleven families are grieving for their lost loved ones, who died in the rig explosion that has prompted the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Michelle Jones lost her husband Gordon, 28, and says it seems as though the human victims have been forgotten. However, the families... more »

• Storm victims in Tallulah ready to rebuild

  April 25, 2010 12:59 PM

  A tornado smashed some houses north of Tallulah to sticks and bricks, and tore walls or roofs from others. But residents say they're ready to rebuild, as soon as the insurance adjusters sign off. Minutes after the tornado wiped out a dozen houses and did major damage to many more,... more »

• Victims identified in Baton Rouge double murder

  April 2, 2010 10:23 AM

  The murder victims from a shooting Thursday night in Baton Rouge have been identified. Police say 25-year-old Darryl Milton and 25-year-old Charles Matthews were shot in the 1400 block of Monte Sano. Witnesses saw several men running from the area, after the shooting. Milton died in the... more »

• Scammers target earthquake donors

  January 14, 2010 5:19 PM

  The Better Business Bureau of Baton Rouge is warning people that hundreds of scammers are targeting people who want to donate money to earthquake victims in Haiti. Jim Stalls with the BBB told News 2 they are using phoney websites and toll free numbers. "We are very generous... more »

• Police investigate 3rd shooting today in Baton Rouge

  September 13, 2009 6:31 PM

  Police are investigating to the third shooting in less than 24 hours in Baton Rouge. Two men were shot and found in different locations off of Staring Lane. News 2 has a crew headed to the scene. more »

• September 11th Memorial Plaque

  September 12, 2009 10:56 AM

  Update: Rubble from the World Trade Center was carefully guarded in Livingston Parish, for more than a year. A group of volunteers in Walker used the metal to craft two September 11th Memorial Plaques for victims of the attacks. Wood from a shrimp boat destroyed in Hurricane Katrina was also... more »

• Update: Walker volunteers craft 9-11 plaques

  September 11, 2009 2:56 PM

  UPDATE: Rubble from the World Trade Center and wood from a shrimp boat destroyed in Hurricane Katrina are being used to make two September 11th Memorial Plaques. A group of Walker volunteers took time out to craft the plaques. One will be placed on the USS New York - the... more »

• Workers handcrafting 9-11 memorial plaques

  September 11, 2009 10:07 AM

  A group of volunteers in Walker are handcrafting two September 11th memorial plaques to honor victims of the attacks. The plaques are being made with debris from the World Trade Center. One will go aboard the USS New York. The other will be placed at a memorial site in New... more »