PORT ALLEN, La. — A teenager was shot and killed and a woman was injured Friday night at a Louisiana high school football game.
The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. during halftime of the football game between Port Allen High School and Brusly High School, both of which are part of West Baton Rouge Schools. Witnesses said the shooting happened near the concession stand.
Ja’Kobe Queen, a 16-year-old Brusly High student, was MedFlighted to a hospital where he died from his injuries. The second victim, 28-year-old Brasia Davis, a Port Allen resident, was also flown to the hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound to the arm. Davis wrote in a Facebook post that she is recovering.
The West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office identified 18-year-old Jarrettin Ranaud Jackson II as a suspect on Sunday. He was taken into custody Monday and charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.
While the relationship between Queen and Jackson remains unclear, Sergeant Landon Groger said there was a physical altercation between Queen and another man at the game. Groger confirmed there were deputies at the game when the shooting occurred but that they would “reevaluate our security protocols” to try to “prevent this from happening in the future.”
The aftermath of the shooting was caught on a live stream broadcast of the game, according to WAVE. Crowds could be seen leaving while emergency lights flashed in the background.
“A few bad apples can really upset it for the whole community when you have two great programs coming together like this,” said one of the game commentators. “All of this other stuff just makes no sense. It can’t be tolerated.”
In a statement, the West Baton Rouge School Board said they are “deeply saddened by the shooting that took place” despite having extra security at the game, which was the 52nd Sugar Cane Classic, a traditional matchup between the two high schools. The statement also said crisis teams would be made available at the two high schools and there would be increased security presence when classes resume Tuesday morning.
West Baton Rouge Schools Superintendent Chandler Smith said the district has “on-going programs” that teach students ways to resolve disputes with their peers without resorting to violence.
“We will re-double those efforts and work with the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office and others in the coming months to teach our students that violence destroys many people’s lives,” he continued.
