In a heartbreaking incident, a pregnant woman was killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when a group of teenagers allegedly shot at her vehicle, mistakenly believing it belonged to someone else. Kerisha Johnson, 36, who was in the final days of her pregnancy, was reportedly picking up guests from an Easter party when the tragic event unfolded.
The fatal shooting occurred early on Sunday, as Johnson drove towards the party to collect her acquaintances. Police later discovered that the gathering was primarily attended by teenagers. Several individuals at the party began firing at Johnson’s white sedan, mistakenly identifying it as the car from which someone had earlier fired shots into the air near the party venue.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Johnson was struck by gunfire, resulting in the tragic loss of her life and her unborn child. The incident has left her friends and family devastated, with Deanna Williams, a childhood friend of Johnson’s, describing the incident as “senseless” and emphasizing Johnson’s innocence.
Investigators found video footage of the alleged assailants raising firearms, aiming at Johnson’s vehicle, and subsequently firing. The suspects fled from the scene after the shooting.
Baton Rouge police have since arrested three teenagers in connection to the tragic incident. Marques Porch, Gregory Parker, and Derrick Curry have all been charged with second-degree murder and first-degree feticide.
According to the arrest warrant, the suspects confessed to being armed at the time of the shooting. They reportedly told detectives that they had believed Johnson’s vehicle to be the same one from which a shot was fired earlier in the night.
The warrant also revealed that Porch allegedly supplied the firearms to the other two teens involved in the shooting. Porch himself sustained non-life-threatening injuries while fleeing the scene.
During their court appearance on Monday, the three suspects were denied bond and are currently being held at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
Prior to his arrest, Porch was employed as a corrections officer and transportation driver for the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. He was immediately terminated from his position following his arrest.