In the late morning of Friday, May 3, 2013, a verbal dispute outside an automotive shop in Kenner, Louisiana, escalated into a fatal encounter that ended the life of 27-year-old Shane Michael Vicknair Graci. The resident of nearby River Ridge was shot and killed at approximately 9:55 a.m. at Performance Automotive, located at 2416 Connecticut Avenue.
Responding Kenner Police Department officers discovered Vicknair's body at the scene.
Through their investigation, detectives learned that Vicknair had been involved in an argument with a man who was seen driving a blue Chevrolet pickup truck. The disagreement, for reasons that are not entirely clear, intensified to the point of deadly violence.
Hours after the shooting, a 75-year-old man from LaPlace named Roger Batiste surrendered to the Kenner Police. Accompanied by his attorney, Batiste also turned over the gun that was allegedly used in the shooting. Following his surrender, Batiste was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Vicknair's death.
Shane Vicknair was the fiancé of Rebecca Wilson and the father of a son, Jaxson Vicknair. He was a native of Metairie and was remembered as someone who was most at home at the racetrack with his father. His family, including his parents, siblings, and grandparents, mourned his sudden and violent death.
