Seventeen-year-old Justin Washington died after suffering a gunshot wound at a residence on Garland Avenue in Opelousas, Louisiana, on Saturday, May 24, 2025. He was taken to a local hospital and later died. The shooting was initially reported as an accidental, self-inflicted discharge, but detectives found inconsistencies between scene evidence and statements from people who were present.

As the investigation continued, officers concluded that 18-year-old Jasean Mansfield fired the weapon that killed Washington. Mansfield confessed during a third interview and was arrested on charges of negligent homicide and obstruction of justice. Investigators also say several people at the home attempted to clean up the scene before police arrived; three others — Sharona Glaude, 31, Latravien Glaude, 19, and Koby Glaude, 18 — were arrested and charged with obstruction of justice.

What did readers in the Opelousas area see or hear that night on Garland Avenue?