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Mom helped teen murder suspects flee state; 5 arrested so far in triple killing

2 years 9 months 2 weeks ago Thursday, June 10 2021 Jun 10, 2021 June 10, 2021 7:12 AM June 10, 2021 in Crime
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Two brothers accused in a shooting that left three people dead, including a toddler, were captured several days after their mother drove them to another state so they could avoid law enforcement.

On Thursday, the Baton Rouge Police Department announced the arrests of David Williams, 19, and his 15-year-old brother, LeDarrius Coleman. Arrest records suggest the brothers fired gunshots that left at least two of the three victims dead.

Earlier this week, police arrested another 15-year-old suspect and two adults in the fatal shooting. The two adults arrested are Latoya Coleman and Christopher Stovall.

Coleman, the mother of Williams and his 15-year-old brother arrested Thursday, is charged as an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.

Stovall is booked as a principal to three counts of first-degree murder. 

A third juvenile, 15-year-old Darrell Edwards, was booked Tuesday as a principal to three counts of first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. District Attorney Hillar Moore said he hasn't decided whether the teen will be charged as an adult. 

According to arrest records, video surveillance of the Memorial Day shooting shows the suspects entering Fairway View Apartments pool and lounge area. 

Officials said the suspects then got into a fight with two males who were seated in lounge chairs near the pool.

This is when the deadly shooting occurred, according to the affidavit. The two males were shot and killed, in addition to an 18-month-old child who was caught in the crossfire.

The official report goes on to say that footage from video surveillance shows the suspects fleeing west from the apartments, holding stolen weapons. 

The arrest report adds that immediately after the shooting, one of the suspects allegedly called a family member and explained what happened, plainly stating that he and his brother had just shot two people. The document says the family member confirmed this call with authorities.  

Police go on to say that after gathering more information, they interviewed Coleman on June 8 and while speaking with her, discovered that she helped her two sons flee to Texas after the shooting. She was arrested for her alleged role in helping her sons evade capture. 

The arrests come a little more than a week after the May 31 shooting killed three people:  Ja'tyri "JT" Brown, the toddler, along with a teenager and one adult. 

Police said the child was playing near a pool at the Fairway View apartment complex on College Drive when she was hit by gunfire. Her family said she was just a bystander hit by a stray bullet when the gunmen opened fire in the parking lot. 

Arrest records indicate that Williams' was charged with three counts of first degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. 

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