By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the parish’s fourth homicide of the year after a Garyville man was shot and killed Monday evening in front of a Garyville grocery store.

Deputies were called out to Bardell’s Grocery, located at 178 Little Hope St., just after 9 p.m. Monday on a report that a man was shot in front of the store. When they arrived on the scene, they found the victim, 32-year-old Travis Turner, on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Capt. Dane Clement, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said Turner was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said Turner was shot at the front door of the store. Clement said evidence at the scene indicated the victim was ambushed from around the corner of the building, leading detectives to believe Turner was targeted. Clement said no one else was injured in the shooting.

Detectives received limited information about the shooting from witnesses at the scene, and very little information was immediately available.

Turner’s killing is the fourth in St. John Parish this year and the second to occur in Garyville. On Jan. 14, 23-year-old Kevin Ferrygood was shot and killed near the intersection of South Fig and Daisy streets. Investigators arrested Craig Lee Jr., 23, of Reserve and Devonte Johnson, 18, of LaPlace, who were both considered “persons of interest” in the shooting. The pair has been arrested on other crimes, but neither has been charged in the murder.

The other two murders occurred in LaPlace. The first was on Jan. 22, when 32-year-old Eric LaBranch of LaPlace was shot and killed near the intersection of Grant Drive and Houma Drive in LaPlace. Authorities arrested Spence Adams, 17, in connection with LaBranch’s killing, which, according to investigators, was the result of a fight over a car stereo. The other was on Feb. 23, when 23-year-old Devon Anderson was found shot inside his home on Willow Street in LaPlace.

No arrests have been made in that investigation.

The parish had six homicides in 2011.

Anyone with information regarding Monday’s incident can call detectives at 985-359-8769 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.