In a Kenner apartment on June 2, 2022, a dispute between roommates escalated into a fatal encounter, leaving 22-year-old James Parker dead. The male victim was shot five times by his roommate, 26-year-old Cade Fuxan, in the hallway of their shared residence in the 4500 block of Williams Boulevard. One of the gunshot wounds was to the back of Parker's head.
The shooting was the culmination of months of friction between the two men, which had previously resulted in a physical fight where Parker had reportedly bested Fuxan.
Following the shooting, Fuxan himself contacted the Kenner police, admitting to shooting his roommate. He claimed that he acted in self-defense, a stance he would maintain throughout the legal proceedings. Investigators learned that a prior altercation had occurred just days before the fatal shooting, leaving Fuxan with facial and bodily injuries. On the night of the shooting, another fight broke out. Fuxan alleged that he tried to retreat, but Parker charged at him, prompting him to open fire. At the time of the incident, Parker and Fuxan were alone in the apartment they shared with Parker's brother and sister, who was dating Fuxan.
Cade Fuxan was arrested and initially charged with manslaughter. However, a Jefferson Parish jury later rejected his claims of self-defense and convicted him of second-degree murder on February 1, 2024. During the sentencing hearing on March 13, 2024, the court heard emotional victim-impact statements from Parker's sisters. One sister, Fuxan's ex-girlfriend, expressed her profound grief and guilt over her relationship with her brother's killer. Parker's other sister described him as a peaceful and non-confrontational person. Fuxan, in a prepared statement, expressed sorrow for the family's pain but maintained that the killing was a justifiable homicide. The judge subsequently sentenced Cade Fuxan to a mandatory life sentence in prison.
