Second suspect in deadly Christmas Eve shooting arrested in Baton Rouge
LUTCHER – Authorities have arrested a second man tied to a deadly quadruple shooting involving a group of young men Christmas Eve night.
Of the four shot, none were older than 25; the youngest was just 15. The teenager and a 25-year-old survived the shooting.
The sheriff's office has identified the two suspects as 24-year-old Tyquan Twendell Williams and 21-year-old Jermain Lee Lewis Jr.
Lewis was tracked down with the help of U.S. Marshals to Baton Rouge Tuesday morning. He was booked as a fugitive into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison with second-degree murder. Lewis is currently being held on a $375,000 bond, but he will be transported back to St. James Parish where he will be booked again and given a new bond.
Williams was arrested Jan. 9 and booked on second-degree murder in St. James Parish.
Thaddeus Watis, 20, and Dedrick Paul Green, Jr., 23, died. Watis was identified as being a football player at Arkansas Baptist College and was home for Christmas break.
Woke up to sad news this morning that one of my players has passed away! I love you Thaddeus, and I’ll see you again one day! Please keep his family, our Players, and Coaches in your prayers! pic.twitter.com/Hx1kN7ljT9
— Ashdone Bailey (@coachbailey_abc) December 25, 2018Trending News
The shooting happened at a party following the popular Festival of the Bonfires along the levee in St. James Parish. The gunfire erupted outside of a bar known as the Neighborhood Lounge on Main Street.
Law enforcement arrived to reports of wild gunfire and found the four shot. One victim died at the scene – the other at the hospital.
The two survivors remained there Christmas night. Wednesday night, the teenager was released from the hospital.
Sheriff Willy Martin, Jr., described the chaos of the shooting in a story with WWL TV, a news partner with WBRZ:
"They immediately heard more gunshots while they were here so you can imagine maybe several hundred people out here running in every direction trying to gather what was going down," Martin said.
Officials said countless bullet casings, a rifle and a handgun were found after the shooting.
"We are hearing some conversations about some rift between some of the young men from Lutcher and some of the young men from Convent," Martin said.