In the early morning hours of June 18, 2018, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Baton Rouge neighborhood, leaving one man dead and another wounded. Johnny Warren III, a 31-year-old male, was killed in the attack, which occurred at approximately 1:40 a.m. in the 1200 block of South 15th Street. Warren was inside a vehicle with another 30-year-old male when one or more assailants opened fire, striking both men. Warren sustained fatal gunshot injuries and died at the scene.
The second victim was also shot but managed to get to a local hospital for treatment and was expected to survive his injuries.
Initially, investigators were left with few leads, stating that there were no known motives or suspects in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. The Baton Rouge Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit urged the public to come forward with any information that could help them piece together the events of that tragic morning. The initial investigation suggested that the victims were targeted while they were sitting in the vehicle.
The investigation into Johnny Warren III's death eventually led to a significant breakthrough. On March 28, 2019, the Louisiana State Police Task Force apprehended a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting. Joshua Johnson, 25 years old at the time of his arrest, was taken into custody. Authorities believe that the shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute between Johnson and the victims. Johnson was subsequently booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
