Michael Leslie, a 20-year-old white male from Many, Louisiana, was fatally shot in Natchitoches on the evening of May 9, 2026. Officers responding to reports of gunfire around 5:22 p.m. found an overturned vehicle in the 1400 block of Grace Avenue; Leslie was inside suffering multiple gunshot wounds and later was pronounced dead by the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office.

Detectives interviewed witnesses and collected physical and digital evidence that investigators say pointed to two suspects. Nineteen-year-old Jakerius Demars of Natchitoches was arrested and booked on charges including First Degree Murder, Armed Robbery, Criminal Conspiracy, Illegal Use of Weapons, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Wearing Masks or Hoods when Prohibited. Shortly afterward, 25-year-old Tedrick White of Natchitoches was also taken into custody and booked on charges including First Degree Murder, Armed Robbery, Criminal Conspiracy, Illegal Use of Weapons, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Both were held at the LaSalle Corrections / Natchitoches Parish Detention Center.

The investigation remains active and the community is awaiting further details as the case proceeds. Did anyone in the area around Grace Avenue and Dixie Street see or hear anything that night?