Dylan Martin was a 26-year-old Black man from Denham Springs, Louisiana, whose life ended in a burst of gunfire during the early morning hours of March 2, 2023. He had been spending the night as a visitor at a residence on Arcwood Drive when an activated home-security system brought Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputies to the property shortly after midnight. Inside, deputies discovered Martin suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The violence had unfolded across more than one area of the home, and Martin died from his injuries before he could escape the scene.
Investigators identified the gunman as Andre Redditt, an off-duty officer employed by the St. Gabriel Police Department. Authorities said the residence belonged to Redditt’s estranged wife and that Redditt entered the home without permission. He went into a bedroom where Martin was with the woman and opened fire. Evidence later presented in court indicated that Redditt discharged six rounds, shooting Martin in the bedroom and continuing to fire as Martin attempted to move down a hallway and get away. The Livingston Parish coroner testified that five bullets were recovered from Martin’s body.
Redditt left the residence following the shooting and drove himself to a hospital in Baton Rouge with a stab wound that he claimed had been inflicted during the encounter. East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies took him into custody at the hospital, and he was later transferred to Livingston Parish. He was initially arrested on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. His bond was reported to have been set at $275,000. The St. Gabriel Police Department placed him on administrative leave while the homicide investigation proceeded, emphasizing that he had been off duty when Martin was killed.
Authorities also filed an unrelated stalking charge against Redditt after another person came forward following his murder arrest and accused him of stalking them during an incident in January 2023. In the Martin case, a Livingston Parish grand jury subsequently indicted Redditt for second-degree murder, formally advancing the allegation that he had intentionally killed Martin after entering the estranged couple’s home uninvited. Redditt pleaded not guilty and maintained that he had acted in self-defense.
The prosecution disputed that account. During a trial that began on July 14, 2026, jurors heard testimony from law-enforcement officers, forensic personnel, the coroner and other witnesses. Prosecutors used the physical evidence and the progression of the shooting through the home to argue that Redditt had been the aggressor rather than someone defending himself. They contended that Martin was trying to flee when the gunfire continued down the hallway, undermining Redditt’s claim that the killing had been necessary for his protection.
After two days of testimony, Redditt withdrew his not-guilty plea on July 15 and pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter. The plea ended the trial without requiring the jury to decide whether he was guilty of second-degree murder. Judge Jeff Johnson later sentenced Redditt to 35 years in prison. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux described the shooting as a senseless killing and said the punishment demonstrated that a defendant’s position in law enforcement did not place him above accountability.
The conviction and prison sentence resolved the central criminal case arising from Martin’s death. What began with a triggered alarm and deputies entering a quiet Denham Springs home ultimately revealed a deadly confrontation created by an estranged husband who arrived without permission and repeatedly fired at a visitor inside. Martin’s final moments were marked by an effort to move away from the gunfire, while the years that followed brought an arrest, indictment, contested claim of self-defense, trial testimony, a guilty plea and a lengthy prison term for the man responsible.
