In the early morning hours of Monday, May 19, 2025, a sense of fear led 22-year-old Kayelyn Ford to call the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. She believed her ex-boyfriend, 24-year-old Brandon Bell, was attempting to enter her apartment on Hooper Road using an old key. Deputies responded to her call, searched her apartment, and, finding nothing, declared it clear.
After the deputies departed, Ford and a friend made the decision to leave and stay elsewhere for safety.
As they were leaving her apartment, a horrifying scene unfolded. Bell, who had apparently been lying in wait in a nearby wooded area, ambushed Ford. He then allegedly shot and killed her. The fatal encounter happened just after 3 a.m. at the Tanglewood Apartments. Following the shooting, Bell turned the gun on himself in an apparent suicide attempt. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and was not expected to survive his injuries.
The tragic event was preceded by a history of domestic disputes. Court records indicate that Bell had been arrested for domestic battery at the same apartment complex the previous month. Following that incident, Ford had sought and been granted a restraining order against Bell on May 15, just days before her death. The order prohibited Bell from coming within 100 yards of her. Detectives also believe Bell had stolen his grandparents' vehicle to drive to Baton Rouge that morning.
