Jarvis Brister Jr, an 18-year-old Black male from Amite, Louisiana, was killed after being struck in the back of the head by a bullet during a fight on the evening of Monday, May 5, 2025. Family say he was playing basketball near Martin Luther King Boulevard and South Fifth Street when a fight broke out and his 17-year-old cousin was shot and injured; Brister ran across the street to help and was hit. He was taken to a hospital and died there on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Brister had been set to graduate from St. Helena College and Career Academy a week later and held a full scholarship to play football at Virginia University of Lynchburg.

The Amite Police Department described the incident as a double shooting that occurred with several people present. Arrests followed quickly: 18-year-old Nastajaa Williams was taken into custody first and had charges upgraded to principal to first-degree murder after Brister’s death. Authorities later arrested 18-year-old Paris Brumfield and 19-year-old Gwendolyn Alexander on principal to attempted first-degree murder and principal to first-degree murder charges, and a 17-year-old, Pharrell Town, had been wanted on related charges.

Who knew Jarvis, was at that basketball game, or saw what happened that night?