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BRPD investigate the scene of a shooting on the 1700 block of 75th avenue after one person was killed and another critically wounded on Thursday, February 8, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON BRPD investigators gather at the scene of a shooting on Shelley Street near Maple Drive on Thursday, February 8, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON Baton Rouge Police investigate a shooting in front of a home on Shelley Street near Maple Drive on Thursday, February 8, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The number of homicides in East Baton Rouge Parish increased for the first time since 2021 — the parish's most murderous year on record. For the past two years, the homicide count has dropped in the city following a spike in 2021, when the parish saw 149 killings amid social and economic disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Homicides had steadily declined in the parish since then, with 115 deaths in 2022 and 100 in 2023.
But by mid-November this year, the parish had surpassed its total homicide count from the previous year. As of Nov. 17, 102 people were killed in East Baton Rouge, Advocate records show.
There have been two homicides so far this month: a 14-year-old died Friday after being injured in a drive-by shooting days earlier and a 27-year-old was killed Saturday. In many other cities, violent crime is declining. In New Orleans, homicides had dropped by nearly 37% through mid-November compared to 2023.
The Advocate maintains records tracking homicide deaths throughout the year and those records are checked against data from local law enforcement, including the Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and the district attorney. The figures include criminal homicides determined by local law enforcement to be intentional and unjustified. Numbers are subject to change if investigations show a case is accidental or justified.
The most homicides occurred in the first quarter of the year, with 37 killings from January to March. July and October tied for fewest deaths so far this year, with five each. Until the most recent November homicides, the parish had gone three weeks without a homicide.
Out of the 102 homicides, 77 are being investigated by the Baton Rouge Police Department, 24 by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and one by Baker police. Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr. noted the pace of violence this year is slowing, and homicides in the city limits have not yet exceeded last year's total.
While the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is investigating more killings than in 2023, spokesperson Casey Rayborn Hicks noted the number of incidents has remained around the same, but double- and triple-homicides have driven up the overall number. Nearly every homicide this year was by shooting. What's driving the violence? Many of the homicide deaths investigated by BRPD this year, especially during the first quarter, were targeted and the result of retaliation or group shootings, according to Morse.
Weapons are also being altered to be more deadly, leading to more shots being fired at scenes, Morse said. So far this year, the department has seized 1,109 firearms, and 97 were fully automatic or illegally converted to be fully automatic, he said. The parish has also seen multiple drive-by and interstate shootings, which, when combined with more powerful weapons, increases the risk of a bystander getting hit.
Baton Rouge Police work the scene of a drive-by shooting homicide on northbound Interstate 110 near the Hollywood Street exit Tuesday evening, August 29, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. “When that bullet leaves the gun, it doesn't have somebody's name on it, right? It's just gonna go wherever it goes,” Morse said. So far, none of the interstate shootings appear to be connected, Morse said.
The department is discussing the possibility of putting more crime cameras on the interstate to deal with the problem. For years, the majority of homicides in the parish have taken place in the 70805 and 70802 ZIP codes, which encompass much of downtown and neighborhoods in north Baton Rouge. Last year was the first time in recent years that 70805 has surpassed 70802, and this year has largely been the same.
Morse said the department focuses on specific neighborhoods instead of ZIP codes, strategically placing patrols in high-crime areas like the Scotlandville and Glen Oaks communities. The department also hosts community walk-and-talks, where officers will pick a neighborhood each week to distribute resources and get to know the residents. Morse says one challenge the department is trying to address is a shortage of officers.
The department recently reported that it had more than 100 vacant officer positions. Victims and suspects getting younger Both shooters and suspects are getting younger, law enforcement officials say. In 2023, Baton Rouge police arrested nine juveniles for homicides.
In 2024, that number grew to 15. The increase took place despite Louisiana voting this year to treat 17-year-olds as adults in criminal courts, narrowing the definition of a juvenile offender. Baton Rouge high school students participate in the Youth Advisory Council orientation alongside police earlier in the year.
Image provided by Baton Rouge Police Department. When Morse was sworn in as chief in January, one of his stated goals was to create a Youth Advisory Council, which was started earlier this year, to connect local high schoolers with law enforcement leadership and get their perspective on policing. Morse said the members of the council meet once a month and have “brave conversations” about what is causing the rise in youth violence — pointing to factors like peer pressure, home life and lack of options to turn to.
The department has conducted additional outreach efforts over the past few months to try to connect with teens. Morse said he has visited high schools throughout the area, hosting Q&A’s, offering community resources and teaching students about conflict resolution. Next year, he hopes to visit middle schools as well.
Addressing public safety Addressing the rise in violence has become a central issue in the ongoing mayor's race. Republican candidate Sid Edwards is the football coach at Istrouma High School, situated in the middle of the 70805 ZIP code. The first homicide victim of the year, 15-year-old Ramide Cosey, was a player on his team.
Cosey was killed in a New Year’s Day drive-by shooting while walking with three other teens on West Brookstown Drive. In February, three juveniles were arrested in connection with his death. Edwards said in addition to Cosey, he knows of four other young people associated with Istrouma High who were shot this year.
“These young people, a lot of them live in despair, they live in trauma and they don't live with a lot of hope,” Edwards said. “We need to start celebrating graduations and success and have a lot less balloon releases. Everybody's got to be a stakeholder, the mayor certainly, the law enforcement agencies, the school systems — it has to be attacked on several fronts.
” Incumbent candidate Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said in a statement that her office is working closely with the police department, referring to additional overtime funding provided earlier this year for extra patrols. Broome also mentioned the Mayor's Office Safe Hopeful Healthy BR program that focuses on outreach to high-risk youth, along with teaming up with community organizations to identify young people to participate in the mayor's Youth Workforce Employment program. “We will continue to work diligently to support keeping our entire community safe,” Broome said in the statement.
“Even though we have seen spikes at times during this year, we have seen periods of success.” Still, Morse said it will take more than the police department or the mayor to reach the parish youth. “It's not just a policing thing, it can't be,” Morse said.
“It has to be a whole community thing.” Anyone with information on a homicide is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867 or their local law enforcement agency..
