Trevor Washington, a 23-year-old Black man, was killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Saturday, January 17, 2015, after a shooting that police said grew out of trouble connected to a drug deal. The morning had barely settled in when violence erupted, turning an ordinary start of the day into a frantic rush for help.
Investigators said the shooting happened around 8:30 a.m. and that Washington was struck several times in the torso. The impact of the gunfire was catastrophic.
He was transported to a nearby hospital, but doctors could not save him, and he died from the injuries.
In the hours that followed, witnesses helped shape the early picture of what led up to the shooting. Several people told investigators the conflict stemmed from issues tied to a drug deal, suggesting the argument had been simmering before it finally broke into open violence. Police focused their investigation on a single suspect as they worked to piece together the final moments that ended Washington’s life.
Baton Rouge police arrested Demond Sanders, 26, accusing him of pulling the trigger. Authorities booked Sanders on a charge of second degree murder, along with illegal use of a weapon, marking the case as one they believed they could anchor to a clear suspect and a specific motive.
