In the quiet dark of a January night in Baton Rouge, the life of Andre Johnson Jr., a 26-year-old man, was brought to an abrupt and violent end. On January 20, 2021, Johnson was fatally shot in the 11000 block of Sherwood Common Boulevard, a crime that would initially leave investigators with few leads. A woman who was with Johnson at the time was also struck by the gunfire, sustaining injuries in the chaotic moments that claimed his life.
The initial investigation into the shooting struggled to identify a suspect, and the case remained unsolved for a period of time, leaving a community searching for answers and a family grappling with a tragic loss.
More than a year after the fatal shooting, a significant breakthrough in the case came from a seemingly insignificant piece of evidence left at the scene: a discarded cigarette butt. Investigators were able to extract a DNA profile from the cigarette and, through forensic analysis, match it to a suspect. This crucial piece of evidence pointed them to Demondra Gaines, who was then officially named as a suspect in the murder of Andre Johnson Jr. The DNA match provided the tangible link that detectives needed to move forward with the case, transforming a cold investigation into an active pursuit of justice.
Following the DNA discovery, the focus of the investigation shifted to locating and apprehending Demondra Gaines. In December 2022, nearly two years after the death of Andre Johnson Jr., Gaines was arrested and taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with the shooting that killed Johnson and injured the female victim. While an arrest has been made, the case is still navigating the legal system. Details regarding a trial, conviction, or sentencing for Demondra Gaines in the death of Andre Johnson Jr. have not yet been made public as the judicial process continues to unfold.
