LA Man Cartez Woods Family Member Powerful Veterans Day Open Letter ‘Sent Home From Active Duty To Bury Sibling’

SHREVEPORT, LA. (THECOUNT) — A family member of Cartez Woods, the Louisiana man found fatally shot last Wednesday night in Shreveport, is speaking out about the deadly incident in an Open Letter shared exclusively with TheCount.com.

Woods, 30, died Wednesday evening after he was shot while in a north Shreveport business parking lot in the 1700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The shooting remains unsolved.

Stephanie is an active duty service member who was sent home from deployment on an emergency basis to deal with the tragic shooting death of her family member.

We agreed to publish Stephanie’s Open Letter in full and without edits:

On Nov, 6, 2019, my biological cousin and legal sibling, Cartez Woods, was shot and killed at the Rite Way Liquor Store on MLK Drive in Shreveport, Louisiana. His mother was my legal guardian since age 3 and we grew up together more as brother and sister.

Cartez was strong, vibrant and loyal. He was funny. He was loving. Not many people saw the loving side of him because he was tough and aggressive with a hard exterior. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. He recently turned 30 and had so much life ahead of him. Now his 1 year old son D’Elijah, who he loved deeply, will grow up without the love, support and teachings of his father.

I myself am a 19 year, active duty officer, currently serving in the U.S. Army.  I’ve had multiple deployments, in fact I’m currently deployed but was granted emergency leave to come home and handle funeral arrangements and legal dealings associated with Cartez’ death.

I mentioned all this to say that I’ve fought in the war in Iraq/Afghanistan and now I’m having to fight in a war against senseless violence and crime. I want to sent a loud and clear message that this is not acceptable. More often than not, people are being murdered and no one is saying anything. No one is doing anything.

Specifically, in this case, there were over 20 people on the scene at the liquor store when it happened but no one “saw” what really happened or has/can provide anything of substance to the police. I’m having a hard time believing this. I’m having a hard time understanding why the liquor store had no cameras up or why it’s even still in business. There’s been multiple shootings within the past year, several of which were fatal and this store is still driving on and profiting, business as usual. I plan to start a petition to have it closed down permanently.

In regards to the case itself, we have some promising leads. I myself have reason to suspect foul play and even premeditated murder and have provided information to law enforcement. I’ve requested a full investigation and that the case remains open until solved. I won’t rest until the person or people responsible are held accountable.

If anyone has any information that can help in this case, please come forward. You can contact the Caddo Parish Police Department or call Shreveport Crime Stoppers at 318-673-7373.

An autopsy has been ordered for Woods.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Shreveport Police Department.

Friends and family members took to Facebook to remember the beloved man:

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Shreveport is a city in northwest Louisiana. Downtown, the Sci-Port Discovery Center features an IMAX dome and hands-on science exhibits. Spring Street Historical Museum explores local history in a restored 19th-century bank. Riverboat casinos dot the Red River. Surrounded by gardens and trails, R.W. Norton Art Gallery displays paintings, sculpture and rare books – wikipedia.