IBERIA PARISH — One year after 31-year-old Dewanna Broussard was killed in a shooting on Sofas Street, her family and friends gathered Sunday at Bank Street Park in New Iberia to celebrate her life — and to renew their plea for justice.
Dressed in purple, Broussard’s favorite color, loved ones filled the park with food, music, and memories. The day, they said, was bittersweet — a celebration of her spirit, but also a reminder that her killer has not been found.
“It’s hard — it’s so hard being without her,” said her mother, Simone Broussard. “It’s just hard.”
Broussard’s mother, Simone described her daughter as “a beautiful daughter, a loving sister, and a wonderful mother” who was always willing to help others. “So many people loved her,” she said. “She did so much for people.”
Family members say the pain of losing her has turned into purpose — pushing them to demand answers in a case they feel has stalled. Latisha Vital, a close relative, says she believes investigators are not moving fast enough.
“I still feel like there is no justice,” Vital said. “It’s been 13 months — how long does it take?”
Police say Dewanna Broussard and her friend Kasey Egbi, 36, were sitting on the front steps of a home on Sofas Street last August when they were both shot and killed. A third woman, a 71-year-old family friend, was also wounded but survived. No arrests have been made in the case.
“A lot of us are hurting because we didn’t get justice,” one family member said. “That’s all this mother is asking for.”
Broussard’s sister says the family needs closure. “She won’t be here for her kids when they graduate, or for prom — for everything,” she said.
Her cousin added that Broussard’s three children are struggling with her absence. “The void of her absence is tremendously felt. She was a valued asset to her family — especially her kids,” she said.
A spokesperson with New Iberia Police confirmed to KATC that the shooting is still under investigation.
