Jaylin Joiner: Candlelight vigil held for Louisiana student 'gunned down' while getting off a school bus

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

CARENCRO, LOUISIANA: A Louisiana high school student tragically lost his life after he was fatally shot while getting off a school bus last week.

Jaylin Joiner, an 18-year-old high school student at Carencro High School, was shot while exiting his school bus, according to the police as per KATC-TV.

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office told KATC-TV that officers responded to a report of a shooting that occurred shortly after 3 pm on Friday, March 1, and when they arrived on the scene they found Joiner with a gunshot wound.

According to the outlet, he was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died from his injuries.

What charges does the criminal face?

Police said that Malikai Doucet, 19, was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting, and his bond was set at $35,000.

Police have not discussed a motive and have said that more arrests are expected.

Jaylin Joiner's grandmother Thea Boudreaux set up a fundraiser for his funeral

Joiner's grandmother, Thea Boudreaux, set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for the teenager’s funeral and to help his mother with expenses. 

“We are all devastated by [the] loss of Jaylin, a young man taken from us too soon to a senseless act of violence, gunned down on the school bus,” Boudreaux wrote on the website.

“Jaylin was heading for only the best in life, going to school, working, and helping with his siblings,” she added.

A candlelight vigil was held in memory of Joiner

On Monday, March 4, a candlelight vigil was held in memory of Joiner by several members of the community and lawmakers.

Carencro Mayor Charlotte Clavier described the incident as “very shocking to the community,” per KATC-TV.  

“I pray for those students and the bus driver on that bus,” she continued. “This is a beautiful community, and we are not accustomed to this here.”

The shooting is still under investigation by the police. Officers reported expecting additional arrests.

Minnesota man pleads guilty in graduation party shooting that killed 14-year-old boy

Meaww previously reported that a Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a shooting that happened at a 2021 graduation party, and killed a 14-year-old boy.

26-year-old Enrique Lucio Davila, of St Paul, pleaded guilty on Friday, February 23 to aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder without intent and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon as per reports by Fox News.

In 2021, authorities received a 911 call containing the urgent plea "Help me," followed by the sound of multiple individuals screaming before the call was disconnected. Subsequent 911 calls from the same location reported a victim of a shooting.

Upon police arrival shortly after 10.45 pm, they found approximately 30 to 40 individuals gathered for a nearby graduation celebration. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire originating from both a dark-colored and a white SUV.

At the time, police confirmed that multiple houses in the vicinity of the 6100 block of Edgewood Avenue had been struck by gunfire, but aside from the tragic death of the boy, no further injuries were reported.

An investigation into the shooting at that time referenced incidents in nearby Maplewood and Oakdale where the same two vehicles were believed to be involved. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was assisting in the investigation.