In the early morning hours of October 25, 2017, the campus of Grambling State University was shattered by violence that claimed the life of 23-year-old senior Earl Andrews. The tragic event unfolded in a courtyard between two dormitory buildings, a place that should have been a sanctuary for students, but instead became a crime scene. Andrews, along with his friend, 23-year-old Monquiarius Caldwell, who was visiting the campus, were both found fatally shot.
The incident reportedly began
with an altercation inside one of the dorm rooms, which then spilled out into the open courtyard. It was there that the dispute escalated to a fatal conclusion. According to reports, Andrews was the first to be shot. In a selfless act of courage, Caldwell rushed to his friend's aid, only to be fatally shot as well. The gunman fled the scene immediately after the shooting, leaving a campus in shock and mourning.
The investigation into the double homicide moved swiftly. Within days, authorities identified a suspect, Jaylin M. Wayne, who was a freshman at Grambling State University at the time. Evidence gathered by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Office, including witness interviews, pointed to Wayne as the perpetrator. He was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of both Earl Andrews and Monquiarius Caldwell. Another individual, Tre' Jones, was also arrested and faced charges of attempted second-degree murder and careless operation of a motor vehicle for his role as the driver of a car involved in the incident.
Jaylin Wayne's case proceeded through the justice system, culminating in a trial that brought some measure of closure to the families of the victims. On October 30, 2021, a jury found Wayne guilty of two counts of second-degree murder. For his crimes, he received a sentence of life in prison at hard labor without the possibility of parole for each count, with the sentences to be served consecutively. The conviction and sentencing marked the end of a painful chapter for the Grambling State University community, but the loss of Earl Andrews and Monquiarius Caldwell remains a somber reminder of a life cut tragically short.
