In the late hours of a November evening in Baton Rouge, the sound of gunfire pierced the night, leading to the discovery of a local man's untimely death. Eric Johnson, a 54-year-old male, was found deceased with multiple gunshot wounds in the 1400 block of Thomas H. Delpit Drive on November 30, 2023. The Baton Rouge Police Department was alerted to the shooting by a Shot Spotter activation, a system designed to detect and pinpoint the location of gunfire.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Johnson's body at the scene.
The investigation into the homicide led detectives to 33-year-old Namoni Black. A week after the shooting, on December 8, 2023, Black was arrested for his involvement in Johnson's death. He was subsequently booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Prosecutors stated that the tragic incident unfolded when Black allegedly forced his way into Johnson's home to confront someone else who was inside. During this confrontation, Black is said to have discharged a firearm into the residence, striking and killing Johnson.
The legal proceedings that followed saw a change in the initial charges against Namoni Black. With his trial approaching, Black opted to enter into a plea agreement. In March 2025, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. At the time of this sentencing, several other charges against him were dropped as part of the plea bargain. In a separate legal matter, Black was also convicted of animal cruelty in November of the previous year for beating a pit bull terrier. For this offense, he received a 10-year sentence, much of which was suspended.
