Kendrick Kendell Wilson was a 23-year-old Black man from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Born on February 5, 1999, to Roderick Crocklem and Leisa Wilson, he was remembered by loved ones with nicknames like "Ken" and "SosKen." In the wake of his death, his family asked for prayers during their difficult time, and a cousin later wrote, "I love you cousin the fam miss you."
In the early hours of May 18, 2022, Kendrick's life was cut short by what police described as a tragic accident.
He was inside a home on St. Gerard Avenue in Baton Rouge shortly after midnight with another man, 26-year-old Deangelo Coleman. According to investigators, Coleman was "playing" with a handgun when it accidentally fired.
The single shot struck Kendrick in the chest. The wound proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives with the Baton Rouge Police Department investigated the shooting and determined it was the result of mishandling a firearm.
Police arrested Deangelo Coleman and booked him into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of negligent homicide. Coleman initially pleaded not guilty, but in October 2024, he withdrew his original plea and pleaded guilty to the charge. The case concluded in March 2025, when a judge sentenced Deangelo Coleman, then 29 years old, to 30 months of hard labor with credit for time served.
