LAPLACE – It has been a violent weekend in St. John the Baptist Parish as the Sheriff’s Office responded to two fatal shootings Saturday evening and early Sunday morning.

On Saturday at 9:43 p.m., deputies responded to a call near the intersection of East 24th Street and Louisiana Highway 44 in Reserve where they discovered shooting victim Jamond James, 22, of Homewood Place in Reserve. James died at the scene.

About six hours later deputies responded to a call in the 100 block of East Sixth Street in Edgard. There they discovered a gunshot victim, Ralph Thomas, 23, of East Fifth Street in Edgard. Thomas died at the scene.

No other injuries were reported in either incident.

These murders bring the total in St. John Parish to eight for 2013.

Anyone with information regarding either of these two incidents should call the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.