Elroy Raymond, a 22-year-old Black man from Harvey, Louisiana, was known for his happy, outgoing personality and his dream of becoming a clothing designer. His friends and family remembered him as a "young king" whose life was filled with promise.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, November 2, 2019, that promise was cut short. At about 3:40 a.m., Elroy was inside the crowded 24/7 Lounge on the West Bank Expressway in Gretna when he got into an argument with a man he did not know.
According to authorities who reviewed surveillance video, the two exchanged words before the other man pulled out a gun and began shooting. Elroy was struck in the neck and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second man who was playing a video poker machine nearby was shot in both legs but was expected to recover from his injuries.
Investigators with the Gretna Police Department quickly identified a suspect from the bar's video footage. They obtained an arrest warrant for Brian Young, then 43, of Belle Chasse. Two days after the shooting, law enforcement officers located and arrested Young in Waggaman.
The investigation also led to the arrest of Young's ex-wife, Serena Bartholomew, 37. Authorities accused her of helping Young hide from the police by moving him from one location to another after the shooting. She was charged with being an accessory after the fact to second-degree murder. In January 2020, Bartholomew pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In March 2020, a Jefferson Parish grand jury returned an indictment against Brian Young. He was formally charged with second-degree murder in the death of Elroy Raymond, attempted second-degree murder for the wounding of the second victim, obstruction of justice, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. As of March 2020, the case was proceeding through the court system.
