By Bonnie Culverhouse
A local man has been sentenced to 9 years with benefit of time served in the 2022 shooting death of Laricker Washington.
Henry L. Brown Jr., of the 700 block of Brook Alley, Minden, entered a guilty plea for manslaughter in Judge Michael Craig’s courtroom and was sentenced on May 29, 2024.
In Webster Parish Journal’s original story from the Saturday, November 5, 2022 incident, Tashun Bailey, 25, allegedly shot Washington in the head.
“Apparently, there was some bad blood between Bailey and Washington,” then-Police 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. Washington died Sunday, November 26, 2022.
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, was charged with obstruction of justice. 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.”
The obstruction of justice charge against Franklin was subsequently dismissed.
Tashun Bailey entered a guilty plea of manslaughter and was sentenced by Judge Craig on November 13, 2023 to 25 years with benefit of time served.