High School Homecoming Celebration Cut Short By Unexpected Tragedy

Louisiana police say a high school homecoming celebration came to screeching halt after the death of a student and her boyfriend. Authorities suspect the incident is the result of a murder-suicide.

Authorities with the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office said they responded to a shooting around 7 p.m. on White Oak Highway the evening of Saturday, Oct. 12 which left two people dead. Deputies identified 17-year-old Dashayla Ardoin and 21-year-old Glenkeithan Robertson as the victims.

“During the investigation, deputies discovered two people deceased from gunshot wounds. From the investigation, this case is believed to be a murder / suicide,” the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office said in their statement released on Monday.

Ardoin was student at Mamou High School, the school said in a Facebook post. She was expected to host the homecoming event that evening with Robertson, her boyfriend who was also a DJ, according to his social media.

Deputies said the route the couple were on suggests they were on their way to the homecoming festivities is when the shooting occurred. Authorities believe Robertson shot Ardoin before taking his own life. Little information is known about the relationship between the two. However, now, two families and a high school community are left struck with grief.

“I never would’ve imagined this. I love you more than words can describe; you’ll always live on,” said Ardoin’s cousin to KATC.

“Lord, we pray for peace, strength, and understanding as we return to school tomorrow without one of our own. Please keep our students and staff, as well as the family and friends of Dashayla, in your prayers. Dashayla will always be remembered for her courage and bravery, her kind heart, and her beautiful smile. She was so very loved and will be dearly missed,” read the school’s tribute post.