On a tragic Labor Day weekend in 2019, the life of 37-year-old Chiquita Lumpkin, a female resident of Franklin, Louisiana, was brought to a violent end. As she was walking away from her ex-boyfriend, Trinity Coleman, he raised an AR-15 style rifle and fired more than 20 shots, killing her outside of her own home on September 2, 2019. The rifle he used was later recovered by police and reportedly had the words 'problem solva' written on it.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting,
Coleman fled the scene, sparking a police chase that unfolded along I-10 near Crowley. His attempt to escape was ultimately unsuccessful, and he was apprehended by law enforcement officers near Welsh. The Franklin Police Department led the investigation into Lumpkin's death, with the Louisiana State Police Criminalistics Laboratory providing scientific analysis.
Trinity Coleman, who was 39 at the time of his conviction, stood trial for the murder of his former girlfriend. After a trial that spanned multiple days, a jury delivered a unanimous verdict, finding him guilty of second-degree murder. This conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of probation, parole, or a suspended sentence. In addition to the murder charge, Coleman also faced pending charges in Jefferson Davis Parish related to the chase that led to his capture. A vigil to honor the memory of Chiquita Lumpkin was later held in Pecot Park in Franklin, where family and friends gathered in a show of love and support.
