In the summer of 2023, the community of Homer, Louisiana, was shaken by the tragic death of 18-year-old JaKerion Daletarious Calome, a Black male and a celebrated senior and standout football player at Homer High School. On the night of June 22, 2023, Calome was at a friend's house in the 200 block of West Third Street with a group of friends, reportedly for a sleepover before a football practice.
He was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head.
Instead of immediately calling for emergency medical help, his friends contacted Calome's family, who then transported him in a private vehicle to Homer Hospital. He was later airlifted to Ochsner LSU Health hospital in Shreveport, where he succumbed to his injuries in the early morning of June 23, 2023. The initial investigation was handled by the Homer Police Department, but due to a potential conflict of interest, the case was transferred to the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office. An autopsy was ordered to be performed in Little Rock, Arkansas, to determine if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted or the result of a homicide.
The investigation into Calome's death led to the arrests of five individuals on July 6, 2023. One adult, 18-year-old Kenshawn Carter of Homer, and four juveniles were taken into custody. All five were charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The arrests stirred significant controversy and outcry within the community, with family and friends of the arrested youths proclaiming their innocence and questioning the handling of the investigation.
Following the arrests, the four juvenile suspects had a bond hearing on July 11, 2023, and their bond was set at $1,000 each. They were released with certain restrictions, including a curfew. Kenshawn Carter, being an adult, was held separately and had a different court date. The families of the arrested individuals, along with community members and organizations like the Nation of Islam, gathered at the Claiborne Parish Courthouse to demand transparency and justice, asserting that the young men were being wrongly accused. As of September 2023, the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Department stated that the investigation was still ongoing and they were awaiting the final results of Calome's autopsy. There have been no public updates regarding the final outcome of the autopsy or the resolution of the charges against Kenshawn Carter and the four juveniles in relation to JaKerion Calome's death. However, court records show that Kenshawn Carter has faced subsequent, unrelated arrests on weapons and drug charges.
