In the early morning hours of June 7, 2021, the life of 19-year-old Michael Brock was tragically cut short in a hail of gunfire at the Sunset Acres housing complex in Bogalusa, Louisiana. A male, Brock had been staying in Bogalusa with a relative of his girlfriend, seeking refuge from death threats he had been receiving on social media. These threats were believed to stem from a rivalry between two rap groups; Brock was affiliated with a faction known as 'Three-13'.
The fatal encounter
began with a knock at the apartment door where Brock was staying. When he answered, a shooter armed with an AR-15 style rifle opened fire at point-blank range, striking him multiple times. The gunman then fled the scene as a passenger in a light-colored sedan. Tragically, a 7-year-old child was in the same room during the shooting but was physically unharmed.
An intensive investigation, aided by surveillance video and intelligence from multiple law enforcement agencies, quickly led Bogalusa Police Department detectives to identify two suspects. Within 24 hours of the shooting, arrest warrants were issued for 19-year-old Tauj Chardez Taplin, identified as the shooter, and 19-year-old Quardavion Tyvon White, the alleged getaway driver. Both suspects were associated with a rival rap group known as 'The Fours'.
A multi-state manhunt for Taplin and White ensued. The two were eventually located and apprehended in Texas. Following their capture, they were slated to be returned to Bogalusa to face charges of second-degree murder for their alleged roles in the death of Michael Brock.
