Baton Rouge news

• Man accused of leading high-speed pursuit from Ponchatoula to Hammond after drive-by shooting arrested

  31-12-2024 16:01 via wbrz.com
  
  PONCHATOULA — Police arrested a man accused of leading officers on a high-speed pursuit in a stolen car after a drive-by shooting Tuesday morning.Kyle Nutter, 20, was arrested by Ponchatoula Police for aggravated flight from an officer, possession of stolen property and assault by drive-by shooting. Police said that patrol officers heard gunshots coming from a Chevrolet Street home near East Pine Street shortly before seeing a car flee at high speed. Police said that the vict
  
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• 18-year-old Baton Rouge victim of terrorist attack laid to rest

  03-01-2025 21:50 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Friday afternoon, 18-year-old Kareem Badawi, an Episcopal grad and victim of the Bourbon Street attacks, was laid to rest.Badawi, whose family is Palestinian, had a traditional Islamic funeral in Baton Rouge.In Islam, it's imperative to bury loved ones as soon as possible. Kareem was killed Wednesday morning.Families came together to pray, grieve, and remember their loved one.Kareem's cousin Malek Badawi has nothing but fond memories. "Everybody just always surrounding hi
  
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• Prayers in the street held on Plank Road in honor of victim in the New Orleans attack

  03-01-2025 21:27 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Reggie Hunter was celebrating the new year in New Orleans when a man who drove a truck through Bourbon Street killed him and thirteen other people. Hunter's sister Courtney Hunter was at the hospital when she received the news that her brother had died."Once they sat me down, I cried. When they told me, I was in shock, it didn't register and it still hasn't registered, I was in shock," Courtney said.Today, on the corner of Plank Road and Evangeline, many in the community went to p
  
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• Former Baton Rouge police chief takes new job with the city

  03-01-2025 20:55 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - As the new mayor-president is getting settled into the role, Sid Edwards is bringing on new hires like retired Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff as Assistant Chief Administrative Officer.The announcement came Friday morning. In Sid Edwards’s first address as Mayor-President, he said he’s looking to address crime head-on.“Instead of accepting crime as a problem we must live with, we must change that mindset,” Edwards said.LeDuff is no stra
  
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• How local law enforcement is handling warning from FBI over copycat attacks following New Orleans

  03-01-2025 18:50 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Following the attack in New Orleans, The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are warning law enforcement nationwide about the possibility of copycat attacks.WBRZ spoke with local law enforcement about how the warnings are being handled. Over the next few months, events like marathons, the Super Bowl, St. Patrick's Day parades, and numerous Mardi Gras celebrations will take place in Louisiana.The Baton Rouge Police Department and Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office are two agencies
  
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• One dead after Thursday shooting in Zachary; deputies searching for suspect

  03-01-2025 18:43 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — EBR Deputies say they are searching for a man wanted for second-degree murder after a shooting on Plains Port Hudson Road resulted in one person dying Thursday.Alex Senegal, 32 is wanted for second-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm.According to witness statements, Jeremy Wright was helping a relative and her boyfriend, Senegal, move from one trailer into another trailer. Senegal allegedly accused Wright of stealing his drugs. As a result, Senegal shot Wr
  
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• Biden will visit New Orleans on Monday in the wake of the deadly Bourbon Street attack

  03-01-2025 18:02 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will visit New Orleans next week, with the city still reeling from the deadly New Year’s rampage in which an Army veteran plowed a truck into revelers.The White House says the president and first lady will travel to New Orleans on Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”Fourteen people were killed in the attack. The driver, identified
  
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• Blood Center asking for donations to restock hospital shelves after deadly Bourbon St. attack

  03-01-2025 18:00 via wbrz.com
  
  HAMMOND - In addition to the 14 people killed, at least three dozen people were injured when a man in a speeding truck deliberately rammed into people walking on Bourbon Street. Many of those injured needed blood when they got to hospitals. The blood center is the primary supplier of blood to local hospitals throughout south Louisiana, the company has set up blood donation sites around New Orleans and in Hammond. By January second, hundreds of people were donating the
  
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• EBR D.A. discusses city's 'violent street group' problem and why they are not 'gangs'

  03-01-2025 17:46 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - In 2024, statistics show domestic violence homicides went down, but gang-related violence drove the murder statistics in the parish 11 percent higher than the year before.The recent arrests of Roger Parker, Yancey Jarrell Jr., Tremell Harris, and Kendrick Profit, who police say are responsible for multiple shootings across the parish including the murder of an eight-year-old are a prime example.Baton Rouge police say the boy was caught in the crossfire when the group, who they sus
  
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• AG's suggestions: Thou should not post Ten Commandments near a Louisiana teacher's desk

  03-01-2025 17:08 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Louisiana's attorney general on Friday issued four suggestions on how public schools should display the Ten Commandments. One says the document shouldn't be posted behind any teacher's desk and another says it should be displayed with other historical documents.Lawmakers last year directed that a copy of the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom, including those at colleges and universities, beginning Jan. 1. A fed
  
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• Governor Landry declares period of mourning in honor of victims of New Orleans attack

  03-01-2025 16:58 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Governor Jeff Landry signed an executive order declaring a period of mourning for the victims of the attack in New Orleans after 14 people were killed.The order calls for all flags over state building to be flown at half-staff during the period of mourning to honor and remember each innocent life lost. The executive order so far has listed days for 10 of the 14 victims and will be amended as victims' names are made public.Here is the current list:Monday, January 6, 2025: In rememb
  
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• 'He gave me closure:' father speaks on son's death from accidental shooting

  03-01-2025 16:55 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A father is calling for an end to gun violence, both intentional and accidental, after his child was killed by a friend when a gun misfired.On Dec. 26, fifteen-year-old Kentrell Royal died at his mother's apartment on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard after his fifteen-year-old friend accidentally fired a loading gun while the two were playing."It hurts because I always thought... I always looked at it like I can't wait until my son gets older," Kentrell Royal's father Kerry Boatner
  
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• FBI: New Orleans attacker set fire to rental home, intended to set off IEDs on Bourbon Street

  03-01-2025 16:44 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The FBI released new information regarding the man who killed 14 people when he drove a truck through Bourbon Street, including him setting fire to a rental home he stayed at as well as finding a transmitter for IEDs he intended to use during his attack.The FBI says Shamsud-Din Jabbar stayed at a short-term rental home on Mandeville Street in New Orleans. At that location, bomb making materials and other items were found and collected. Agents found similar materials in Jabbar's ho
  
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• Driver looking for party responsible for damage incurred inside car wash

  03-01-2025 15:52 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A woman's car was damaged in a car wash, not by the car wash itself but by something that fell off of another car. So far, no one has accepted responsibility and she has reached out to 2 On Your Side.Valerie Walton likes to keep her car clean and gets bi-weekly car washes at WhiteWater Express Car Wash. She has had an unlimited membership for several years and frequents the Cortana location. On December 6, 2024, Walton says she was going through the wash tunnel when her car starte
  
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• Suspect arrested after body of Plaquemine teen found with gunshot wounds in burning sugarcane field

  03-01-2025 15:50 via wbrz.com
  
  ADDIS - The suspect in the death of an 18-year-old whose body was found in a burning sugarcane field was arrested, according to the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office.Deputies say Tyler Davis, 18, was responsible for the death of Ja'Morius Mitchell, 18, after Mitchell's body was found laying in a drainage ditch and concealed beneath sugarcane with the surrounding field and victim's body being burned. Investigators believe the killing may have been motivated by a dispute over a cellphone.O
  
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• $$$ Best Bets: Will Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals make the playoffs? $$$

  03-01-2025 15:32 via wbrz.com
  
  Hunter McCann has this weekend's best bets for the NFL, the NHL, the NBA and college basketball!Friday
  Men's College Basketball:
  Quinnipiac @ St. Peter's: St. Peter's -2.5
  Marist @ Iona: Iona -2.5
  Xavier @ Georgetown: Xavier +1.5
  Michigan State @ Ohio State: Ohio State -2.5
  Creighton @ Marquette: Marquette -9.5
  Nevada @ New Mexico: New Mexico -5.5NBA:
  Hornets @ Pistons: Pistons -6.5
  Magic @ Raptors: Magic -1.5
  Knicks @ Thunder: Knicks +4.5
  Celtics @ Rockets: Celtics -2.5
  Cavaliers @ Mavericks:
  
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• Laissez les bon temp rouler! Parade schedule for in and around the capital area

  03-01-2025 15:23 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Carnival is longer than usual this year, running eight weeks and two days. By tradition, king cake sales begin on Epiphany, Jan. 6, and run through Mardi Gras, which is March 4 this year (and the knife stays in the box). Heading into Mardi Gras, here is a list of parades and courirs coming up across the region:Acadia Parish
  TUESDAY, MARCH 4
  COURIR (Tee Mamou-Iota) - daybreakAscension Parish
  SUNDAY, FEB. 16
  DONALDSONVILLE MARDI GRAS PARADE - 2 p.m. SATUR
  
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• ABC News report: New Orleans attacker had spent a month in Egypt during 2023

  03-01-2025 14:48 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS — The Texas man who sped along Bourbon Street and ran down New Year's Eve revelers, killing 14, had visited Egypt for about a month in 2023, his half-brother told ABC News.Federal investigators are looking into Shamsud-Din Jabbar's travel as it seeks a motive for Wednesday's attack. The FBI has said it is looking into the case as a possible act of terrorism, and wants to know whether Jabbar was radicalized before traveling abroad or if the travel marked the start of his ra
  
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• Man arrested in Pointe Coupee Parish after robbery of Hancock Whitney bank in Baton Rouge

  03-01-2025 14:43 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested Friday in connection to a bank robbery that took place on Dec. 26 at a Baton Rouge Hancock Whitney bank, according to the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office.Frankie New was arrested around 2:15 p.m. Friday. On Dec. 26, New allegedly walked into the Hancock Whitney bank on Government Street unarmed and made a verbal threat for money.The bank gave him $300 and he left the building. He was located in Pointe Coupee Parish.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Morgan City man killed while walking along La. 19 in East Feliciana Parish

  03-01-2025 14:33 via wbrz.com
  
  WILSON — State Police said Friday that a Morgan City man was killed while walking along La. 19 at night while wearing dark-colored clothing.Herman Kilbourne III, 50, was struck Thursday evening just north of Carruth Road. Troopers said Kilbourne was walking northbound and was hit by a southbound Infiniti. Kilbourne was pronounced dead at the scene.Toxicology tests are pending on the Kilbourne and the driver of the Infiniti, whom police did not identify.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Federal prosecutors announce kidnapping, sex-crime charge after attack on Loranger family

  03-01-2025 13:54 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS — Federal prosecutors lodged a kidnapping charge against an Amite man Friday and also accused him of taking a young girl across state lines for sexual purposes after the killing of a Loranger woman and the abduction of her two children.Daniel Wayne Callihan, 37, is accused of kidnapping resulting in death and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with
  intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Callihan has been in jail since his arrest in Jackson, Mississ
  
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• Eastbound I-10 blocked at College Drive due to vehicle fire; backup reaching Mississippi River bridge

  03-01-2025 13:34 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 were blocked at College Drive on Friday afternoon while firefighters extinguish a vehicle fire.How the fire started was not immediately known. Traffic cameras showed eastbound motorists backed up as far as the Mississippi River bridge.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Sid Edwards announces two more administrative hires

  03-01-2025 12:40 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Mayor-President-elect Sid Edwards has announced two more administrative hires. Friday, Edwards said he would be appointing retired BRPD chief Jeff LeDuff as his Assistant Chief Administrative Officer. LeDuff currently advises individuals and businesses on safety and self-defense. Edwards also said he would be appointing Monique Appeaning as another Assistant Chief Administrative Officer. Appeaning is a former fiscal analyst and special projects coordinator for th
  
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• Broccoli sold at Walmart voluntarily recalled over listeria concerns

  03-01-2025 12:31 via wbrz.com
  
  Bags of ready-to-eat broccoli florets sold in 20 states have been recalled over concerns they may be contaminated with listeria.Braga Fresh Foods has voluntarily recalled one lot of its 12-ounce bags of Marketside Broccoli Florets, according to a recall notice shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 31.Braga Fresh Foods, a California-based company, said in its Dec. 27 recall notice that the "potential for contamination was discovered during random sampling by Texas Health &
  
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• Two House members change votes after initially opposing Johnson; Louisiana House member re-elected Speaker

  03-01-2025 12:25 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON — Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson was re-elected Speaker of the House on Friday after two House colleagues who had voted against him on the first ballot changed their votes.The late change gave Johnson the 218 votes he needed to be elected as Speaker for the 119th Congress. Initially, he had received just 216 votes.Before clerks certified the need for a second vote, Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas changed their votes and gave Johnson the votes he ne
  
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• Johnson failing in first ballot for Speaker post as House meets to pick leader for 119th Congress

  03-01-2025 12:25 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON — It appeared that Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson would fail to win enough votes to be re-elected as Speaker of the House on Friday. A first round of balloting showed him short of the 218 votes he needed to return to his leadership post as the 119th Congress opened.Clerks were yet to certify the results. If the tally from the first ballot holds, another vote would be required.Johnson was elected to the House's top post in October 2023, winning enough support from a fractured R
  
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• Man arrested for five counts of attempted first-degree murder after allegedly shooting at LPSO deputies

  03-01-2025 12:22 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A man was arrested for five counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer after he allegedly fired shots at deputies when they approached his home for negotiations overnight Thursday. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office was notified of a wanted fugitive out of Lafayette. Faron Dillon was wanted for home invasion and aggravated assault with a firearm, and LPSO was told he was in a home on Eden Church Road. Deputies tried to negotiate a
  
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• BRFD: House on Byron Street declared total loss after fire

  03-01-2025 11:21 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Fire Department said they responded to a house fire on Byron Street Friday that resulted in a total loss.According to BRFD, no occupants were inside. While the fire was confined to the rear of the house, the structure was declared a total loss.Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Baldwin Police Department looking for information on shooting suspects

  03-01-2025 11:09 via wbrz.com
  
  BALDWIN - The Baldwin Police Department is looking for suspects in a shooting that happened Friday.According to police, a shooting that resulted in no injuries took place around 6 p.m. on Rod Lane. Police say the driver of the vehicle provided by police appears to be a light skin male, while a male with a firearm appears to be heavy set and in his early 20s. The vehicle they were in was a Dodge Charger with silver rims.Anyone with information is urged to contact the police at 337-923-4845.Perma
  
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• Overturned cement truck in Livingston Parish blocking traffic

  03-01-2025 11:05 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - An overturned cement truck was blocking some lanes of traffic in Livingston Parish. According to the parish sheriff's office, the overturn happened at the roundabout at the intersection of 447 and Highway 16. Deputies said there was a steady flow of traffic in both directions under traffic control guidance. It was not clear if there were any injuries. Permalink| Comments
  
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