In the early morning hours of October 18, 2019, the quiet of a Shreveport, Louisiana neighborhood was shattered by the discovery of a grim scene. Inside a parked van in the 2700 block of Grassmere Street, police found the bodies of 25-year-old LaDarien Walpool and another man, Deonta White, also 25. Both men, residents of Shreveport, had been shot multiple times and were pronounced dead at the location.
Walpool was an African American male.
The evening before, Shreveport police had responded to a call about shots being fired in the same area but had been unable to find any evidence of a crime. It wasn't until the following morning, when residents began to notice bullet holes in their own vehicles, that authorities were called back to the scene. It was during this second visit that the bullet-riddled van containing Walpool and White was discovered.
The Caddo Parish Coroner's Office later confirmed the identities of the two men through fingerprint comparison and ordered autopsies to be performed. Despite the ongoing investigation into the double homicide, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the deaths of LaDarien Walpool and Deonta White. Authorities have continued to appeal to the public for any information that might lead to a break in the case.
Family and friends mourned the loss of Walpool, remembering him as a kind and respectful individual. His funeral services were held at the Praise Temple Full Gospel Cathedral, and he was laid to rest at Carver Cemetery. The community was left hoping for justice and answers in the tragic and unsolved slayings.
