BATON ROUGE — It’s been one year since a family lost their beloved son and nephew, and they want to ensure he is never forgotten. Broadmoor High School senior Kyle “KJ” Earthly Jr. was shot and killed in broad daylight on Dec. 23, 2024, allegedly by a classmate he had been giving a ride to.
The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. in the 15000 block of Old Hammond Highway. Officials say that Earthly was shot inside his vehicle, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. A classmate, Jeremiah Howze, was arrested several days later and charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in Earthly’s death.
A year has passed since Earthly died, and his family tells UWK that the grief still runs deep.
“The grief hasn’t softened—it has deepened. We are exhausted, drained, and profoundly sad. There’s a unique pain in watching time move forward while KJ is permanently left behind,” said Earthly’s aunt Dr. Maria Shantell Williams…