By Bonnie Culverhouse
Minden Police have made arrests – two specifically – in last Saturday’s shooting death of 32-year-old LaRicker Washington.
Tashun Bailey, 25, of the 700 block of Buck St., Minden, is charged with First Degree Homicide. His bond is set at $600,000.
Henry Brown Jr., 27, of the 700 block of Brook Alley, Minden, is charged with First Degree Homicide. His bond is set at $200,00.
Bailey allegedly shot Washington in the head around 9:45 p.m. Saturday. Washington died Sunday afternoon.
“Apparently, there was some bad blood between Bailey and Washington,” Chief Steve Cropper said. “Supposedly, some time in the recent past our victim threatened the shooter with a gun.”
According to Bailey, he drank beer all day Saturday with his uncle, Johnathan Cooksey.
“He got drunk, and when he left his uncle’s house, his path crossed with Washington,” Cropper said. “Bailey said Washington stared at him and it scared him because Washington had pulled a gun on him in the past.”
Bailey reportedly said he was so frightened, he returned to his house, retrieved a gun and as he passed the motel and saw Washington standing there, he shot him.
Brown is charged because he reportedly was with Bailey and served as his “look out.”
Kenisha Franklin, 30, of the 1000 block of Cherry Street, has been charged with obstruction of justice. Her bond is set at $20,000.
Cropper said Franklin was in Washington’s motel room when the shooting took place.
“Mr. Washington had a firearm in that motel room the night he was shot,” said the chief. “Prior to law enforcement’s arrival, Franklin removed the firearm and gave it to another male to hide.”
Cropper said the firearm was illegal because the serial number had been “drilled out.”
“I don’t know what she was trying to accomplish because that firearm was not involved in the shooting whatsoever,” he said. “It was an AR 15-type rifle. Shell casings left at the scene were from .22 caliber ammunition.”
Cropper said there could be another arrest pending from that particular gun.
Cooksey was arrested with an indirect connection to the shooting.
“His name came up that he might have some information in reference to it,” Cropper said. “Some of the officers were looking for him, and he heard about it, so he voluntarily drove himself to the PD.”
As he was being placed in an interview room, Cooksey was searched for officer safety.
“He came up here with a pocketful of Ecstasy,” said the chief. “It was individually wrapped. Officers searched his vehicle and inside he had a 9 mm handgun. He was charged with possession of Ecstasy and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.”
Cropper said his investigators have worked almost around the clock since the shooting occurred.
MPD officers were joined by Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies, U.S. Marshal’s task force and Drug Enforcement Administration task force.
“We had several search warrants, and they were all instrumental in serving those,” Cropper said. “We really appreciate all their help.”
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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