Family members have identified the man fatally shot by a Louisiana State Trooper early Tuesday morning as 34-year-old Brandon Nicholas, a married father of four from St. Gabriel. Nicholas was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales, where he was pronounced dead. According to relatives, state troopers at the hospital did not allow them to view his body. Nicholas’s body is now being sent to Jefferson Parish for an autopsy.
The shooting occurred just before 2 a.m. near the intersection of LA Highway 431 and Hwy 935, close to St. Amant High School. Louisiana State Police confirmed that a trooper discharged their firearm during a traffic stop, striking a person who later died. The trooper was uninjured.
Authorities have not released additional details regarding the circumstances leading to the shooting, including why no external agency was immediately assigned to investigate. The incident caused multiple road closures as police processed the scene.
State Police are requesting anyone with information, photographs, or video related to the shooting to contact the department at 1-800-434-8007 or submit an anonymous tip via the agency’s website.
This tragic incident has left Nicholas’s family and community grieving while questions about the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
