In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 18, 2019, the life of 19-year-old Saharol Holmes, a male resident of Thibodaux, Louisiana, was cut short by gunfire. The incident unfolded around 2:15 a.m. in the Abby Subdivision of Thibodaux, where the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office received reports of shots being fired. Responding deputies discovered a car riddled with bullet holes in the 400 block of Abby Road.
A search of the vicinity led to the grim discovery of Holmes in a nearby field, suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another man was found nearby with several gunshot wounds and was transported to a hospital in critical condition, though he was later reported to be in stable condition. Investigators believe two other men were also in the car at the time of the shooting and were questioned about the incident. The nature of the attack led authorities to believe it was not a random act of violence, with Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre describing it as a 'targeted ambush.' It was unclear whether Holmes or one of the other occupants of the vehicle was the intended victim. At least one home in the area was also struck by gunfire, but no other injuries were reported.
Holmes was a former football player at Thibodaux High School. A year prior to his death, in October 2018, Holmes himself had been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting. He, along with three others, was charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. However, the charges against Holmes were later 'pretermitted,' indicating a need for further investigation by prosecutors. In the days following Holmes's death, investigators identified at least two persons of interest. Despite these initial leads, no arrests in the murder of Saharol Holmes were publicly announced in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. The investigation into his death was reported as ongoing.
