Joshua Ryan Calk was 47 when he was shot and killed on May 2, 2023, at a Valero gas station on Industrial Drive in Bossier City, Louisiana. Known for his wit and welcoming presence, he graduated from Southwood High School and Louisiana State University Shreveport, served in the Louisiana National Guard, and was a regular helper with genealogical research at the Broadmoor Branch of the Shreve Memorial Library.

Family described the killing as a senseless act of violence. According to accounts, an armed individual attempted to rob the store; Joshua, a customer, and the store clerk, Jairiah Joseph Hamilton, were both killed at the scene. A police officer and another man in the parking lot were also wounded by gunfire.

The alleged gunman was identified as 50-year-old Cortrell Burks and has been taken into custody on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Bossier Parish. If anyone was at the gas station that day or knew Joshua, please share what you remember.