On the quiet morning of Christmas Eve in 2023, a violent outburst shattered the holiday peace in Plaquemine, Louisiana, leading to the death of Justin Young. In the early hours, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Young was a passenger in a vehicle with three other individuals, stopped at a red light at the intersection of LA-1 and Highway 77. Suddenly, another vehicle pulled alongside them, and occupants within unleashed a hail of gunfire into their car.
The brutal and unexpected attack claimed
the lives of Justin Young and another man in the front seat, Marcus Williams. One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local hospital. Fortunately, the two passengers in the back seat of the targeted vehicle were not physically harmed in the incident.
The roots of this deadly encounter appear to run deep, with law enforcement pointing to a long-standing and violent feud. Plaquemine Police Chief Stephen Engolio stated that the conflict originated from an armed robbery that went wrong in 2018. In the years that followed, this initial incident spawned a cycle of retaliatory violence, with an estimated 30 shootings linked to the ongoing dispute. Chief Engolio expressed his frustration over the persistent violence, noting that it had tragically culminated in a double murder on a day meant for celebration.
In the wake of the shooting, the Plaquemine Police Department launched an investigation that quickly led to the identification of suspects. On December 30, 2023, 22-year-old Markeithan Jamal McGinnis turned himself in to authorities. A second suspect, 20-year-old Travis Dawayne Pitcher, was arrested on January 5, 2024. Both men face serious charges for their alleged roles in the killings, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. While these arrests have been made, authorities have indicated that the investigation remains ongoing, and further arrests could be possible.
