Courtney Poche Jr. was 20 when he was killed by a single gunshot to the head on August 12, 2021, at a residence in the 500 block of Karla Drive in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Deputies and detectives from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office responded at 11:08 p.m. and Poche was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say Poche had been at the home with a 15-year-old male and the two were handling a pistol they believed to be unloaded. A single round discharged, fatally striking Poche. The teenager was taken into custody, charged with negligent homicide, and placed at the Juvenile Justice Facility in Thibodaux. The sheriff described the case as a horrible tragedy and offered condolences to the family.

Were there witnesses at the residence who can clarify how the firearm was stored or how the gun came to be loaded?