In the early morning hours of April 16, 2023, 36-year-old Kerisha Johnson, a pregnant woman just days away from her due date, was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in a tragic case of mistaken identity. Johnson was arriving at a party on North Carrollton Avenue to pick up some attendees when she was fatally wounded inside her vehicle.
The incident occurred after another vehicle, similar to Johnson's, had reportedly fired a shot into the air while driving past the party earlier
that night. When Johnson arrived, a group of individuals outside the party mistook her car for the one from the earlier incident. Several people then opened fire on her vehicle as she attempted to drive away. Struck by the gunfire, Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the days and months following the shooting, five teenagers were arrested in connection with the deaths of Johnson and her unborn child. The suspects were identified as Marques Porch, Gregory Parker, Derrick Curry, and Desmond Robinson, all 19 years old, and 18-year-old Torey Campbell. At the time of his arrest, Porch was a part-time corrections employee with the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office but was terminated following the charges.
The suspects face charges including second-degree murder, first-degree murder, and first-degree feticide. All five were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. The investigation revealed that the assailants had allegedly used video footage to track Johnson's vehicle before the shooting. Friends and family remembered Johnson as a sweet and caring person who was excited to welcome her new baby. She was also a mother to two other children.
