ST. MARTIN PARISH (CADE) — The St. Martin Parish community is still recovering after a wedding weekend turned deadly, leaving one man dead and two others injured.
The tragic incident occurred Saturday night at the Cade Community Center during a wedding reception.
Brandy Alexander, a lifelong St. Martin Parish resident and cousin of the victim, spoke with KATC about her cousin, 20-year-old Javion Williams, who was killed in the shooting.
“Javion—‘Sexy’ is—was his nickname since a baby; his momma gave him that nickname. A good kid, a good heart, loved people, loved basketball,” said Alexander.
She explained that her family had lived in St. Martin Parish for generations and was gathered together for a joyous occasion.
“Loved food, loved his family of which we kinda all just grew up in a good family-founded—environment,” she said.
The evening started like any other wedding, with guests dancing, talking, and taking pictures. Alexander, who was at the event, left before the chaos unfolded.
“It was a shocker, ya know, just to even get the phone call and say, ‘Check on your family, there’s been a shooting,’ and I was like there’s no way I just left,” Alexander recalled.
According to the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, three people were shot just after 10:30 p.m. off Smede Highway, where the wedding was taking place.
Two others were injured and remain hospitalized. Alexander's cousin, Javion, was killed in the shooting.
“He was in the wedding for Ray and Marquis [the bride and groom],” Alexander said. "He was a groomsman.”
In addition to the shooting, the suspect also caused a traffic crash while attempting to flee the scene. The suspect was then transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Alexander said she tried to reach out to family members to ensure everyone was safe, but did not return to the scene.
“You couldn’t even get back here, from what I was told so... it was just kind—I was numb; and then when I finally got the news that Javion had passed, it just... it took the life out of me,” Alexander said.
Funeral arrangements for Williams will take place next week.
