In a tragic incident on December 26, 2024, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 15-year-old Kentrell Royal lost his life. The male teenager was at an apartment on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard when the fatal event occurred.
According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, Kentrell was with a 15-year-old friend inside an apartment. While one of the teenagers was handling a firearm, it discharged accidentally. At the time, Kentrell was engrossed in playing a video game.
The single gunshot struck and killed him at the scene. The incident was reported to authorities around 4:30 in the afternoon.
Following the shooting, the 15-year-old friend who was handling the gun was taken into custody. He was subsequently arrested and booked into a juvenile detention center on a charge of negligent homicide. Due to his status as a minor, his name has not been publicly released. A probable cause hearing was held at the Juvenile Court following the arrest.
In the wake of the tragedy, Kentrell Royal's father, Kerry Boatner, has spoken out, expressing his belief that the shooting was a terrible accident. He conveyed that he did not think the boys were aware the gun was loaded and has even called for the negligent homicide charges against his son's friend to be dropped. Boatner expressed gratitude that the friend remained at the scene and called for help, which provided his family with a sense of closure. An obituary for Kentrell, who was a student at Helix Mentorship Academy with aspirations of becoming an engineer, confirmed his date of death and noted that he was born on November 19, 2009.
