In the quiet, pre-dawn hours of a Baton Rouge Sunday, a car sat silently in a ditch off of Kaufman Street, its journey abruptly ended. Inside, authorities would find 22-year-old Laterika Taylor, her life taken by gunfire on May 23, 2021. The discovery, made around 2:15 a.m., marked the beginning of a story of loss for a young family and a community, and a search for answers that has so far proven elusive.
An African American female, Laterika was a mother of three young children, with a fourth on the way; she was pregnant at the time of her death.
Concern had begun to ripple through her family when she didn't return home and failed to answer her phone. Those who knew her described this as uncharacteristic of the young mother who worked styling hair to provide for her family. Her grandmother recounted the growing worry that turned to devastation upon learning the news of her granddaughter's violent death. The family's private grief soon became a public plea for justice for a life taken too soon.
The Baton Rouge Police Department launched a homicide investigation into the shooting death of Laterika Taylor, a case that has been met with a frustrating silence. In the time that has passed since her death, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made. The motive behind the shooting remains unknown to the public, leaving a painful void for a family still searching for closure. The investigation into who is responsible for the death of Laterika Taylor remains open, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.
