RIP Mayor-Elect Gerald Washington
RIP Mayor-Elect Gerald Washington
Good grief, what an awful thing. Prayers for him and his family.
If it's murder, it's an outrage.
"found the body of a black male with a single gun shot wound. The body was later identified as Washington. The Calcasieu Coronor's Office is performing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. "
Um, gunshot????
Found in a parking lot with a single gun shot wound.
Looks like an execution to me.
Gunshot room to the head and the gun is left at the scene? This guy does not sound like he'd kill himself. Hmm...
Westlake mayor-elect discovered killed in parking lot (12/31)FROM STAFF REPORTS
WESTLAKE — Gerald "Wash" Washington, the city's newly elected mayor, was found dead of a gunshot wound Saturday night in a parking lot. He was 57.
According to Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office personnel at the scene late Saturday, Washington's body was found next to his pickup truck at the old Mossville High School.
"We received a 911 call at 9:49 p.m. from a passerby who saw a body laying next to a vehicle," said Sheriff's Chief Deputy Gary "Stitch" Guillory. "We investigated and found a black male dead. We identified him as the mayor-elect of Westlake."
Guillory said Washington suffered a single gunshot wound and that a weapon was recovered at the scene. Deputies gave no indication where the bullet struck Washington or what type of gun it was.
Deputies early Sunday were waiting on a search warrant to examine Washington's truck.
Guillory said there were no functions going on at the building at 3301 Old Spanish Trail, which now houses the Calcasieu Parish School System Department of Special Services.
Washington was sworn in Dec. 19 to become Westlake's new mayor. He was elected this fall — defeating Paula Johnson 2-to-1 — to succeed Dudley Dixon, who retired after 24 years.
When he announced his candidacy, he told the American Press: "I would love to see Westlake become a model city for the rest of the world to see a place where everybody is somebody, a community that works together, plays together and reaches out to support and help each other at any time, not only when crises arise."
Upon swearing-in, he said, "We should be a model city. We need the people. We need to get our pride high in Westlake." The theme for the new government was "One City, One Team."
On Friday, he appeared at Dixon's retirement party and presented a jacket to him.
A Conoco retiree, Washington was a veteran member of the City Council and served as the city's mayor pro tempore.
He was a lifelong Westlake resident who graduated from Mossville High and attended Sowela and McNeese State. He was a medal winner as an Army soldier during the Vietnam War.
He co-founded the Westlake Boxing Club and served on the boards of the Calcasieu Women's Shelter and the American Red Cross' Lake Charles chapter.
You're right, murders only happen in La.
The Sherrif-elect in DaKalb County, Georgia, was killed before taking office in 2000 by the former Sherrif that he defeated in the election. Some politicians take defeat very badly.
Option #2 really sucks! I think #1 and #3 are their best bets.
Is the Dixie Mafia alive and well? Well, Bill?
Lets play amateur detective...
List of suspects and motives?
His opponent?
The out going mayor?
Girlfriend..
Husband of girlfriend?
Somebody in the mayor's office who doesn't need the new guy poking around in records?
Thoughts....
Suicide is out...Depressed people don't run for office and win.
Had to be somebody he trusted to meet in a school parking lot alone in the middle of the night.
You'll know what this is about if the FBI's public integrity section in NO gets hotted up. If they get moving this killing was political...if they don't then this murder was personal.
Cause of death?
High speed metal object passing through vital organ?
Just a guess on my part.
RIP
Wonder if they will take the gun shot wound into consideration.
Poor guy!
Louisiana is a cesspool. Can't we give it back to France?
May the Mayor-elect rest in peace. Prayers for his family.
I guess party doesn't have to be mentioned anymore in Louisiana. I assume it's a given that there's is only one party and Democrat is the name, may peace be on it.
I'll take a wild stab that Mr. Washington was a Democrat and that his electorate area votes 85% Democrat.
Leni