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On Sunday, March 2, 2025, following the Pepe Mardi Gras Parade in Franklinton, Louisiana, a shooting occurred at approximately 7 pm, injuring five people. Franklinton Police and Washington Parish Sheriff’s Deputies were nearby and provided life-saving assistance before the victims were transported to local hospitals. Two victims have been treated and released, two are in stable but guarded condition, and one remains in critical condition.

Franklinton Police detectives identified and arrested 18-year-old Jamerian Lawon Anders of Franklinton that same evening. Anders faces five counts of Attempted 1st Degree Murder in connection with the gang-related shooting. During questioning, he provided a voluntary, inculpatory statement in which he implicated himself in the commission of the crime. Additional suspects are being sought, and more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

In unrelated incidents during the parade, officers arrested two juveniles for possessing firearms on the parade route, within a school zone, and investigated a threat of gunshots which led to the discovery of an individual carrying an AR-15 style rifle. The investigation, led by Franklinton detectives with support from the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, is ongoing.