Investigators say a neighborhood argument escalated into a street shootout that fatally wounded Davian Nicholas.
BATON ROUGE, LA — East Baton Rouge Parish deputies arrested four men within hours of a neighborhood gunfight that killed 8-year-old Davian Nicholas, who authorities said was struck Sunday evening while outside near his home on San Juan Drive.
The case drew quick public attention because the child was not accused of any role in the dispute and because investigators said the shooting unfolded in a residential area where children had been playing only minutes earlier. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office said the violence grew out of a running dispute between two groups, then erupted into gunfire about 6:20 p.m. Sunday. By Monday, deputies had booked three men on first-degree murder charges and a fourth on a charge of principal to first-degree murder, saying the arrests came after an overnight investigation with help from Louisiana State Police and the state attorney general’s fugitive task force.
Deputies said the shooting happened in the 5700 block of San Juan Drive, near South Laredo Avenue, after arguments between two armed groups worsened through the day. According to investigators, one group was outside a home and another arrived in a vehicle before shots were fired. The sheriff’s office said Davian was caught in the exchange and was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Neighbors told local television stations that the boy had been playing basketball with other children earlier in the day. Kyle Pryor, a neighbor who said he had been outside with the children before the shooting, told reporters the gunfire came suddenly. At first, Pryor said, people thought Davian’s mother had been hit when they saw her in the grass, but then realized she was holding the child. The area, normally described by neighbors as a place where children gather outdoors, became a crime scene within minutes.
The sheriff’s office identified those arrested as Jeremiah Tanan Scott, 21; Hunter Calligan, 22; Jeremiah Walter, 25; and Everett Chambers, 21. Scott was booked on counts of first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Walter and Chambers were each booked on first-degree murder, and Chambers also was booked on illegal use of a weapon. Calligan was booked on a charge of principal to first-degree murder. Investigators said Scott and Calligan were armed outside a home when Walter and Chambers drove by and gunfire began. Deputies said they believe Scott fired the shot that struck Davian and that Chambers also fired during the confrontation. Arrest records described the conflict as part of an ongoing beef between Calligan and Walter. Authorities have not publicly detailed what started the feud, how long it had been going on, or whether more arrests could follow. Bonds had not been publicly set in early reports, and court dates were not immediately announced.
Sheriff Sid Gautreaux called the killing a “heartbreaking and senseless tragedy” and said a group of young men chose to settle an argument with gunfire in a neighborhood where families live and children should be safe. His statement also praised detectives and partner agencies for identifying and arresting suspects before a full day had passed. The speed of the arrests became a major part of the official response, but it did not ease the grief in the neighborhood. Residents told reporters they were shaken that the shooting happened in front yards where children had been spending a routine Sunday. One mother, Fran Netter, said the news that the child had died brought her to tears. Another neighbor said the afternoon had looked normal, with friends gathering, talking and shooting hoops, until the shots rang out. Those reactions underscored a fact repeated by both law enforcement and neighbors: Davian was outside in a family setting when the gunfire reached him.
The records cited in local reports add more detail to the sequence that investigators are building. Deputies said they found a large number of rifle cartridge cases in the roadway, a sign of how intense the exchange may have been. One report said investigators learned during interviews that some of the men armed themselves in anticipation of a gunfight. Authorities have not publicly said how many rounds were fired, whether any homes or vehicles were struck, or whether anyone besides Davian suffered injuries. They also have not released a detailed probable cause narrative explaining which witness accounts, forensic evidence or statements tied each suspect to the shooting. That leaves key questions unresolved even after the arrests: whether surveillance video captured the gunfire, whether ballistics testing has been completed, and whether prosecutors will add or revise charges as the case moves forward. For now, the sheriff’s office has said only that the evidence gathered overnight was enough to support the current bookings.
There is also broader context in the case beyond the immediate shooting. Local coverage said Scott previously had been indicted on an illegal carrying of weapons charge tied to a 2023 incident, and that a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest in July of that year. Authorities did not say Monday whether that earlier case played any role in the San Juan Drive investigation, but the detail adds to questions about prior contact with the justice system before Sunday’s violence. In Louisiana, first-degree murder charges carry the most serious criminal stakes, and the use of that charge in the death of a child bystander signals how prosecutors and investigators are framing the case. At the same time, the principal to first-degree murder charge against Calligan suggests investigators believe he had a role in the events leading to the killing even if he is not accused of firing the fatal shot. Under Louisiana law, prosecutors can pursue a principal theory when they believe someone aided or participated in a crime carried out by another person.
What comes next is likely to unfold in court filings, bond proceedings and additional evidence releases. The men arrested in the case are expected to face initial court appearances, though public reports available Tuesday did not list hearing dates or indicate whether any had retained lawyers. Prosecutors will need to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury, seek indictments beyond the initial bookings, or adjust the charges as forensic testing and witness interviews continue. Investigators also may release more information on the weapons recovered, the route taken by the vehicle involved and the timeline of the dispute that officers said built over the course of the day. For Davian’s family and the surrounding neighborhood, those procedural steps are likely to be followed alongside funeral plans and community mourning. For law enforcement, the next milestone is converting quick arrests into a prosecutable case that can stand up in court.
Even with suspects in custody, the scene left behind on San Juan Drive remained central to how neighbors described the loss. Residents said children often play outside in the area, making the killing harder to absorb. Pryor said Davian had been with friends, doing something ordinary, shortly before the shooting. Netter said no one expected the day to end in bloodshed. Their comments gave shape to the damage behind the case numbers and charges: a child who had been part of a neighborhood routine was gone by nightfall. Officials have not said whether family members witnessed the moment Davian was struck, but neighbor accounts suggest the chaos unfolded in front of adults and children who had little warning. That mix of normal Sunday activity and sudden violence became the clearest picture of the case by Monday: a dispute between adults ending in a child’s death on a residential street.
As of Tuesday, four men remained accused in the shooting death of Davian Nicholas, and investigators had not publicly announced additional arrests, bond decisions or court dates. The next major developments are expected to come through jail records, court filings and any further evidence release from the sheriff’s office.
Author note: Last updated March 10, 2026.