LAPlace, La. – A St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot by his own brother during a family dispute on Thanksgiving evening, turning a holiday gathering into a scene of heartbreak and chaos.
Deputy Shaquille Guerin, 35, a eight-year veteran of the force known for his infectious positivity and dedication to patrol and detective work, was gunned down just after 5:30 p.m. Thursday on Marigold Lane in the rural outskirts of LaPlace.
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Sheriff Michael Tregre said deputies responding to reports of shots fired found Guerin collapsed in the street outside a relative’s home, suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Despite frantic CPR from colleagues and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The alleged shooter: Guerin’s 32-year-old brother, Darius Guerin, who fled on foot before law enforcement arrived. A high-stakes pursuit ensued when Darius ignored a traffic stop, ditched his vehicle, and bolted through backyards and wooded areas. Deputies recovered a handgun discarded along his escape route before tackling and arresting him.
“He’s now charged with second-degree murder,” Tregre announced Friday. “This is a tragedy that hits close to home—in every sense.”
Colleagues remembered Shaquille Guerin as the deputy who always had a joke to lighten a shift and a genuine commitment to serving the community. “He had the heart of a true public servant,” Tregre said. “Shaquille brought light everywhere he went, and our department is dimmer without him.”
Guerin leaves behind a wife and three young children. The sheriff’s office has set up a memorial fund for the family, with details to be released next week.
Darius Guerin is being held without bond at the parish jail. Investigators say the shooting stemmed from a domestic argument but have not elaborated on specifics.
The St. John Sheriff’s Office plans a public memorial service for Deputy Guerin early next week.