Crime
17-Year-Old Wyatt Sanders Arrested in Connection with Fatal Shooting of 16-Year-Old Miranda Clements in Vivian
Caddo Parish authorities are continuing their investigation into a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl in Vivian, Louisiana, on the evening of Sunday, April 20.
According to officials, officers with the Vivian Police Department responded to reports of a shooting just before 8:30 p.m. at a residence in the 33 block of Pardue Street.
Upon arrival, officers located 16-year-old Miranda Clements lying on the floor inside the home with a gunshot wound to her upper body.
Emergency personnel with Caddo Fire District 8 responded and pronounced the teenager deceased at the scene.
Following the initial response, Vivian police contacted the Caddo Parish Sheriffโs Office for assistance.
Detectives with the Sheriffโs Office launched a joint investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Authorities initially stated they were working to establish whether foul play was involved.
As part of the investigation, 17-year-old Wyatt Layne Sanders was taken into custody in connection with the incident.
He was booked into the Caddo Parish Correctional Center at 3:07 a.m. on Monday, April 21. According to jail records, Sanders is facing two counts of illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile and one count of negligent homicide.
He remains in custody as of the latest report.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Further details, including the events leading up to the shooting, have not yet been released.
Crime
16-year-old Khyon Smith-Tate found shot to death inside Chipotle bathroom on edge of Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA โ A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple Universityโs campus in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, police said, as students and staff returned for the first day of the Spring 2026 semester.
The shooting occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. inside the Chipotle located in the 1100 block of West Montgomery Avenue, on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartment complex. The building is situated near Temple Universityโs Student Center and TECH Center.
Police later identified the victim as Khyon Smith-Tate, a North Philadelphia resident. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin issued a joint statement following the incident:
โThe loss of life to gun violence is a profound tragedy, and there are no words that can make sense of it. Our thoughts are with the victimโs family and loved ones.โ
According to investigators, Smith-Tate and another minor entered the restaurant and requested access to the restroom. Chief Inspector Small said the shooting is believed to have occurred inside the bathroom.
Moments later, employees discovered Smith-Tate suffering from a gunshot wound. Police recovered one spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon inside the restroom.
Although the victimโs last known address was approximately eight blocks from the scene, authorities have not indicated what brought him to the location or what led to the shooting.
At the time of the incident, the restaurant was crowded, and multiple individuals inside the business were detained briefly for questioning. However, police said they have not yet obtained any statements from witnesses who reported hearing a gunshot.
A person of interest was taken into custody several blocks from the scene shortly after the shooting, but Chief Inspector Small said that individualโs involvement remains unclear.
As of Tuesday, police confirmed that no arrests have been made and no motive has been established.
Investigators believe Smith-Tate entered the restroom with another minor, though the whereabouts of that individual remain unknown.
Police are also seeking information about three possible suspects, described as teenagers carrying backpacks.
Chief Inspector Small noted that the area is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras, which detectives are reviewing as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.