In the quiet town of Livingston, Louisiana, the evening of Friday, May 9, 2025, was shattered by a violent act that ended the life of 23-year-old Evan Robert Lynch. A young man, whose life was marked by the early loss of his parents, was fatally shot in the chest, leaving a community in shock and his own family struggling for answers. The incident unfolded at the otherwise peaceful Doyle High School baseball field, a place not typically associated with such tragedy.
Emergency services
received a harrowing call around 9:15 p.m. from a vehicle on the move. The caller reported that a man had been shot in the chest and was struggling to breathe. Law enforcement, including the Livingston Police Department and the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, located the vehicle off Red Oak Road near Texas Street. Inside, they found Evan Lynch with a single, devastating gunshot wound. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
The immediate investigation led to the detention of the driver and another passenger in the vehicle for questioning. The driver was identified as 19-year-old Brandon Soileau. As the investigation deepened, law enforcement determined that the shooting had occurred at the Doyle High School baseball field. The crime was not a random act of violence; investigators quickly came to believe it was a premeditated crime.
Within a day of the shooting, the investigation pointed to the involvement of others. On Saturday, May 10, 2025, authorities arrested a second suspect, 23-year-old Caleb Rowley of Denham Springs. Both Soileau and Rowley were booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, obstruction of justice, and tampering with surveillance. The belief that the act was planned and not carried out by a single individual was solidifying.
The investigation continued to unravel, leading to a third arrest on Monday, May 12, 2025. Lavorius Linson, 24, was taken into custody and faced a series of grave charges, including first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, first-degree robbery, and illegally supplying a firearm to a felon. Police indicated that Linson was involved in the planning and execution of the crime that took Evan Lynch's life. While the key individuals believed to be responsible were in custody, the Livingston Police Chief acknowledged that many questions remained unanswered as the investigation continued.
