He was just 22 when his life ended on a street corner in Baton Rouge—on a Thursday afternoon that had started like any other. Jamarqari Burris never made it home. Instead, he became the latest victim of a deadly shooting that unfolded in broad daylight near the intersection of St.
Gerard Avenue and East Brookstown Drive, a stretch of road familiar to many in the community.Police say the shooting happened around 1:45 p.m. When emergency responders arrived, they found Burris lying in the street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the speed at which medics reached him, there was nothing they could do. The coroner’s office was called to the scene, and Burris was pronounced dead where he fell—no ambulance ride, no final moments in a hospital room, no chance for loved ones to hold his hand or say goodbye.
The finality of that loss has left his family grappling not only with grief but with the brutal suddenness of violence that offers no warning and no closure.The Baton Rouge Police Department has launched a full investigation, but as of now, the circumstances remain unclear.
Detectives are reviewing surveillance cameras in the area, canvassing businesses and homes for witnesses, and working to piece together what led to the fatal encounter. They have not released information about potential suspects, possible motives, or whether Burris was targeted or caught in a dispute that escalated beyond control.
Residents in the Brookstown community say the killing has left them shaken. Many describe Burris as a young man with his whole future ahead of him, someone who deserved far more than a life cut short on a neighborhood street. As investigators continue their work, his family is left to face the heartbreaking reality of a young life gone far too soon.
