January 2019 Louisiana Shootings: A Tale of Betrayal and Tragedy

On a cold winter morning on January 26, 2019, the tranquility of Louisiana's Ascension and Livingston parishes was shattered. A horrifying spree shooting unfolded, leaving five people dead and a community in shock. The perpetrator, Dakota Theriot, a 21-year-old with a troubled past, embarked on a deadly rampage that would end only when he was apprehended nearly a thousand miles away in Virginia.

The Unfolding Tragedy

Just weeks before the tragic events, Dakota Theriot found temporary refuge with his girlfriend's family after being cast out by his own. However, this act of kindness was repaid with violence. Using a handgun he had stolen from his father, Theriot unleashed terror on his new hosts in Livingston Parish. He coldly executed Billy Ernest, 43, his daughter Summer Ernest, 20, and his son Tanner Ernest, 17.

The carnage did not end there. Theriot then stole a truck and traveled to Ascension Parish to confront his own parents. There, he fatally shot Elizabeth and Keith Theriot, both in their early fifties, in their Gonzales home. Before succumbing to his injuries at the hospital, Keith Theriot managed to make a desperate call to 911, identifying his own son as the shooter.

Among the chaos, two Ernest children, aged just 7 and 1, managed to escape unharmed, running to a neighbor's house to raise the alarm. Their innocence starkly contrasted with the brutality of the acts they had narrowly escaped.

The Manhunt and Capture

The search for Dakota Theriot spanned states and captured national attention. After a tense day-long manhunt, he was found in Richmond County, Virginia, parked in the driveway of his grandmother's house in Warsaw. When approached by the Virginia State Police, Theriot allegedly aimed his weapon at the officers, perhaps seeking a death-by-cop conclusion to his spree. However, no shots were fired, and he was taken into custody without further incident.

Theriot's journey to Virginia was reportedly driven by a desire to say goodbye to his family, namely his two aunts and grandmother. He expressed no resistance to extradition back to Louisiana, where he would face justice for his crimes.

The Troubled Past of Dakota Theriot

Born on April 17, 1997, Dakota Michael Theriot was a young man plagued by personal demons. His life was marked by legal troubles and brief involuntary commitments to mental health facilities. Friends and family described him as someone who claimed to hear voices and had previously threatened to destroy his parents' home. His ex-wife painted a picture of a volatile relationship, alleging that he was schizophrenic and abusive throughout their time together. Her efforts to secure a permanent protective order against Theriot were unsuccessful, as a judge instead imposed a mutual injunction prohibiting contact between the two parties.

Following his arrest, Theriot did not shy away from his actions, confessing to the killings with chilling detachment. He told authorities that he committed the murders in "pure, cold blood," a statement that would later resonate through the court hearings.

The Legal Proceedings

In March 2019, Theriot faced charges of first-degree murder in both Livingston and Ascension parishes. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. His defense team, working pro bono, sought a pause in the proceedings, citing a lack of funds to mount a proper defense for their indigent client.

Justice, however, would not be delayed indefinitely. On January 11, 2023, Dakota Theriot changed his plea to guilty for the murders. The court sentenced him to life in prison, a decision that brought a measure of closure to the bereaved families and the community left reeling from his actions.

Sources

For further reading, you can explore the original Wikipedia article on the January 2019 Louisiana shootings here.