ST. GEORGE — In what started as a regular night among friends, 20‑year‑old Chad Howard now faces serious charges after his friend, 20‑year‑old Caleb Carter, was accidentally shot and killed inside the Perkins Rowe parking garage Monday evening. Police say a moment of mishap has now turned into a lifetime of consequences for multiple families.
The shooting happened shortly after 9:20 p.m. on the second level of the garage behind the Cinemark movie theater. Deputies with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office responded quickly but found Caleb badly wounded. Despite immediate efforts by first responders, he did not survive. The shock of his sudden death spread fast among people who knew him.
Investigators say Howard told deputies the shooting was unintentional and occurred when a firearm he had discharged by accident struck Caleb. After the shot rang out, Howard reportedly threw the gun onto another level of the parking structure. Sheriff’s deputies later found the weapon, which had been reported stolen before the incident.
Howard was arrested Tuesday and charged with negligent homicide, possession of stolen things, and obstruction of justice. The charges reflect not only the tragic loss of life but the troubling discovery that the gun involved was not lawfully obtained. This twist has deepened concern within the community about how guns circulate and end up in the hands of young people.
Friends and acquaintances of both young men are left to grapple with how a moment of carelessness, as Howard described it, could lead to such a permanent loss. Caleb’s name has become a reminder of how fragile life can be and how one split‑second event can change everything.
Family members and friends have shared memories of Caleb as someone full of life, always ready to support others and laugh with those around him. The plans he had — for work, for joy, for future milestones — are now memories held close by people who loved him. They speak of him not as a victim, but as a vibrant young man taken too soon.
As the legal process unfolds, Howard’s future is uncertain. The charges he faces are serious, and the weight of what happened will stay with him and everyone connected to both young men. In the meantime, Caleb’s family, friends, and a grieving community continue to remember his life — his warmth, his laughter, and the promise of all that he still had to offer the world.
His loss is a straight‑up reminder of how fleeting life can be, and how one careless moment becomes a lifetime of reflection.
