In the early morning hours of April 6, 2022, the life of 28-year-old Demerkus Wiltz, an African American male, was tragically cut short in a fatal shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The incident occurred around 5:07 a.m. at an apartment complex located at 11528 Old Hammond Highway, near the intersection with Sherwood Forest Boulevard. Responding officers found Wiltz at the scene, where he was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds.
Investigators from the Baton Rouge Police Department
quickly began piecing together the events of that morning. They determined that a male suspect had shot Wiltz and then fled the scene in a black vehicle before law enforcement arrived. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear to authorities. Through their investigation, detectives identified 44-year-old Carlton Lee as the alleged shooter. It was discovered that Lee was a resident of the same apartment complex where the deadly encounter took place.
A manhunt for Lee ensued, and two days later, on April 8, 2022, he was located and apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Following his capture, Lee was transported back to East Baton Rouge Parish and booked into the parish prison. He faces charges of second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon in connection with the death of Demerkus Wiltz. The investigation into the circumstances and motive behind the shooting remains ongoing as the legal proceedings against Lee commence.
