On a Friday night in Livingston, Louisiana, the community was shaken by the violent death of 23-year-old Evan Lynch. On May 9, 2025, Lynch was shot in the chest at the Doyle High School baseball park. Around 9:15 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a call from a vehicle on Texas Street, reporting that a man had been shot and was having difficulty breathing. Authorities located the vehicle off Red Oak Road and found Lynch inside with a single gunshot wound.
He was transported to a hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting led to the swift arrest of three suspects. The first to be taken into custody was 19-year-old Brandon Soileau, who was the driver of the vehicle in which Lynch was found. As the investigation progressed, authorities determined that the crime appeared to be premeditated and that Soileau had not acted alone. This led to the arrest of a second suspect, 23-year-old Caleb Rowley of Denham Springs. Both Soileau and Rowley face charges of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, obstruction of justice, and tampering with surveillance.
A third arrest was made in connection with the homicide, with police taking 24-year-old Lavorius Linson into custody. Linson was charged with first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, first-degree robbery, and illegally supplying a firearm to a felon. Authorities stated that Linson was involved in the planning and execution of the criminal plot. The Livingston Police Chief assured the community that while the investigation was ongoing, they were confident that the 'main players' in the 'horrific crime' had been arrested. The shooting did not involve any students from the nearby school, which was not in session at the time of the incident.
