In the late hours of a Sunday night in Saint-Martinville, Louisiana, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet on October 18, 2020. Responding to a call of shots fired in the 200 block of Honore Street, police discovered the body of 24-year-old Brandon Kerlegan lying in the road. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man, Bernard Mitchell IV, was also injured in the incident, suffering a graze wound to his arm.
Kerlegan, an African American male, was a father to a newborn daughter, a son, and a brother.
The young man's death was a devastating blow to his family, who described him as a 'standup guy.' Tragically, this was not the first time the Kerlegan family had been touched by gun violence. Just two years prior, Brandon's 22-year-old brother, Tylon, was also killed in a shooting in the nearby city of New Iberia. The family's profound grief was now compounded by this second, senseless loss.
The investigation into Kerlegan's murder led St. Martinville Police to two suspects: 20-year-old twin brothers, Damontae and Davontae Gardner. They were arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, and aggravated criminal damage to property. While arrests were made, the authorities indicated that the investigation was ongoing and that more arrests were possible. The community was left to mourn the loss of a young father, as his family once again faced the painful aftermath of gun violence.
