Joshua Ryan Calk, a 47-year-old male, was a man known for his wit and welcoming presence. A graduate of Southwood High School and Louisiana State University Shreveport, he had served in the Louisiana National Guard. His intellectual curiosity led him to study political science and history, and he was known as the go-to person for genealogical research at the Broadmoor Branch of the Shreve Memorial Library.
On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, Joshua's life was cut short in what his family described
as a senseless act of violence. He was at a Valero gas station on Industrial Drive in Bossier City, Louisiana, when an armed individual attempted to rob the store. During the incident, Joshua, a customer at the gas station, was fatally shot. The gas station clerk, Jairiah Joseph Hamilton, was also killed in the shooting. Both men died at the scene. Two other individuals, a police officer and another man in the parking lot, were also wounded by gunfire.
The alleged gunman was identified as 50-year-old Cortrell Burks. He was taken into custody and is facing charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Bossier Parish.
