In the late hours of May 27, 2019, a dispute in Laplace, Louisiana, tragically cut short the life of 27-year-old Malcolm Cortez Johnson Sr., an African American man. Shortly after midnight, reports of a fight followed by the sound of gunshots drew St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's deputies to the corner of Williamsburg and Plymouth Streets. The altercation had devastating consequences for Johnson.
Not long after the reported shooting, a vehicle struck a telephone pole near the Ochsner Medical Complex in Laplace. Inside the car was Malcolm Johnson, suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of his body. Medical personnel at the scene rendered aid, but Johnson's injury proved to be fatal, and he succumbed to his wounds shortly thereafter.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a 16-year-old male from Convent as the primary suspect. As law enforcement prepared to execute an arrest warrant, the teenager turned himself in to the authorities the day after the fatal incident. He was subsequently arrested and faced a charge of second-degree murder for his alleged role in the death of Malcolm Johnson. Following his arrest, the juvenile suspect was held at the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility. The motive for the shooting remains unclear.
