On the evening of Wednesday, December 17, 2025, a violent encounter in LaPlace, Louisiana, resulted in the death of a teenage boy and injuries to two young men. Authorities responded to a distress call shortly before 7:00 p.m. regarding a shooting in the Cambridge subdivision. Upon arriving at the 3100 block of English Colony Drive, deputies from the St.
John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office discovered a chaotic scene indicating a transaction that had turned deadly.
The responding officers found a 17-year-old male lying in a driveway, suffering from gunshot wounds to his abdomen and right buttock. Further examination of the area led them to a wooded section behind a residence, where they located 16-year-old male Harold Warren Jr. suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of his back. Emergency medical personnel transported Warren to the Ochsner Medical Complex, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.
During the initial investigation, hospital staff notified the Sheriff's Office that a third individual, a 19-year-old male, had arrived at the medical facility in a private vehicle seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg. Investigators determined that the three individuals had gathered for a gun transaction that went awry, leading to the exchange of gunfire. The 17-year-old was listed in critical condition, while the condition of the 19-year-old was not immediately disclosed.
The St. John the Baptist Parish School District later confirmed that all three individuals involved were students within the district, with Warren attending East Jefferson High School. The superintendent issued a statement expressing deep sadness over the loss and extending condolences to the family, friends, and classmates affected by the tragedy. As of the immediate aftermath, detectives had not released information regarding specific suspects or additional arrests, noting that the investigation into the motive and circumstances of the failed transaction was ongoing.
