On a Tuesday evening in May 2018, 29-year-old Cameron Mack was returning to his LaPlace, Louisiana, apartment with his 4-year-old daughter, Cali, and a handful of groceries. As he carried his daughter up the stairs to their home in the 100 block of Joe Parquet Circle, a gunman emerged from the darkness and opened fire without warning, striking both father and daughter.
The sudden violence left Cameron and Cali clinging to life.
Emergency services were called, and a deputy rushed young Cali to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Cameron was airlifted to University Medical Center in New Orleans. Though he was initially conscious and able to speak with detectives, he succumbed to his injuries later that night.
Investigators with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office believe that Cameron Mack was the intended target of the shooting, though a clear motive has not been publicly identified. It was noted that Cameron had been involved in a confrontation the weekend prior to the shooting, and authorities were exploring a possible connection. Before he died, Cameron spoke with investigators, but the details of that conversation have not been released as it remains an active investigation.
In the wake of the double homicide, the community and law enforcement officials pleaded for information. A reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible was offered and later increased. The Sheriff's Office released surveillance footage that captured a male subject running from the scene around the time of the shooting. The video shows a Black male in a light-colored shirt and dark shorts. Despite these efforts, no arrests have been announced in the case, and the gunman who took the lives of a father and his young daughter remains at large.
