A quiet Thursday morning in Elmwood turned tragic after deputies discovered 28-year-old Meridian Woodson shot to death inside an apartment along Citrus Boulevard. The heartbreaking case has now turned into a major murder-attempted suicide investigation in Jefferson Parish.
Authorities said deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office responded shortly after 10 a.m. to an apartment complex in the 5100 block of Citrus Boulevard after reports of a disturbance. When deputies arrived, they found Woodson suffering from a gunshot wound inside the apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators believe the shooting was connected to a man later found inside a vehicle parked at a nearby shopping center. Deputies said the man appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Emergency crews rushed him to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition.
The suspect’s identity has not yet been released by investigators. Authorities have also not shared details about the relationship between the man and Woodson or what may have led to the deadly violence. Detectives said the investigation is still active as they continue gathering evidence from both scenes.
For several hours Thursday, deputies could be seen moving between the apartment complex and the nearby parking lot as crime scene investigators worked through the area. Residents in Elmwood described the scene as disturbing and emotional, especially in what many called a normally busy but peaceful part of Jefferson Parish.
Friends and neighbors were left shaken after learning Woodson had died. While little has been publicly released about her personal life, the sudden nature of the tragedy has already sparked conversations online about domestic violence and warning signs that often go unnoticed until it is too late.
Sheriff’s officials said there is no ongoing threat to the public. Still, the case has left many in the community struggling to understand how a normal weekday morning turned into a deadly investigation stretching across two separate crime scenes.
As detectives continue working to piece together the final moments before the shooting, many questions remain unanswered. What is certain, though, is that another young life was lost in a violent situation that has deeply shaken the Elmwood community.
