On May 28, 2024, Meridian Thomas Woodson, 28, was found dead in the couple’s Elmwood apartment after her ex‑husband, Kody Woodson,30, opened fire. deputies from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office later located Kody with a self‑inflicted wound; he died in hospital the next day, turning the incident into an apparent murder‑suicide.

May 28 shooting at Elmwood apartment leaves mother of two dead

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance call and discovered Meridian’s body inside the shared unit. Investigators then found Kody in a nearby parking lot, gravely wounded. As the agency noted, the exact sequence of events remains under investigation.

Divorce filings reveal mutual domestic abuse accusations

Court records show the Woodsons were entrenched in a contentious divorce, with each party filing petitions for the other to attend domestic‑violence intervention programs.. These filings, according to the report, illustrate a long‑standing pattern of conflict that escalated in the weeks leading up to the shooting.

Community rallies with GoFundMe for the Woodson sisters

Friends and neighbors quickly set up a GoFundMe page to support Meridian’s daughters, aged four and seven. Rita Rando, a close friend, described Meridian as “a light in everyone’s life,” emphasizing the deep personal loss felt across the Elmwood community.

Unclear trigger: what sparked the fatal confrontation?

Authorities have refrained from assigning motive, stating that investigators are still piecing together the final hours before the gunfire.. The lack of a clear precipitating event leaves lingering questions about whether a specific dispute, a custody hearing,or another factor ignited the violence.

Who will protect the surviving children?

With both parents now deceased,the two young girls face an uncertain future.. Legal experts note that children in such circumstances often become wards of the state or are placed with extended family, but the report does not specify any custodial arrangements yet.