On a late Friday afternoon in New Iberia, Louisiana, the life of 28-year-old Kendrick T. Lewis was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire. The shooting unfolded on September 3, 2021, outside the Sneaker House, a shoe store located in a shopping center on South Lewis Street. The incident, which also left three other individuals wounded, sent shockwaves through the local community and prompted an extensive investigation by the New Iberia Police Department.
The chaotic scene began to
unfold at approximately 5:30 p.m. when multiple shots rang out in the busy parking lot. An off-duty police officer who was nearby at a supermarket heard the gunfire and was the first to respond, discovering the four victims. Kendrick T. Lewis was found with fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Of the three other victims, one was in critical condition and had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention, while the remaining two were transported by ambulance for treatment of their injuries. Eyewitnesses reported seeing at least one individual exit a vehicle and open fire, striking Lewis and the other victims.
In the weeks that followed the shooting, the New Iberia Police Department actively pursued leads and, on September 23, 2021, publicly identified three individuals as persons of interest in the ongoing homicide investigation. The men were named as 25-year-old Bryce Simon, 22-year-old Tyler Phillips, and 18-year-old Jamontre Batiste. Authorities appealed to the public for any information regarding the whereabouts of these individuals and their potential connection to the fatal shooting.
Despite the naming of these persons of interest, publicly available information has not provided further updates on whether any arrests were made or formal charges were filed in connection with the death of Kendrick T. Lewis. The investigation into the shooting that claimed a young man's life and injured three others remains a painful and unresolved chapter for the community of New Iberia. The lack of public information on any subsequent legal proceedings, such as trials or convictions, leaves the final account of that violent September evening incomplete.
