An apparent murder-suicide in which a Jefferson Parish correctional officer was shot by her boyfriend has left neighbors in the quiet Waggaman community where she lived stunned and wondering what could have provoked the incident.

Tamara Lee, 22, who began working for Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office last month, was found dead from a gunshot wound Thursday inside 17 Sharen Place at about 9 p.m., said Col. John Fortunato, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office. Deputies also found Shawn Davis, Lee's boyfriend and the homeowner, dead from a gunshot wound. A .40-caliber handgun was found near Davis' body and investigators believe he shot Lee before taking his own life, Fortunato said.

Neighbors, most of whom learned of the shooting when deputies and the news media showed up at the couple's neat yellow home, remained befuddled by the incident Friday. Several neighbors described the couple as quiet and polite, noting that they never heard any shouting or other disturbances from the home since the couple moved there in 2006.


Tangela Stewart, who lives next door, said Davis always waved to her whenever she saw him. She said Davis, Lee and Lee's 8-year-old daughter seemed to be a stable family. Stewart, who moved into the neighborhood last year, said the family didn't socialize much with neighbors, but said that wasn't unusual.

"They were quiet and kept to themselves," Stewart said.

However, Stewart said that after she learned about the shooting, it gave her a different perspective on her last interaction with Davis, which occurred Thursday afternoon. She said that when she left the home for work shortly before 1 p.m., Davis was also leaving his house.

Stewart drove behind Davis as he took the winding route out of the neighborhood to River Road, and said he was driving extremely slowly and seemed distracted. She said he sat at one stop sign for several minutes until she was forced to pull around him. At the time, she thought he might have been reading a bill or had been distracted by something else, but now she's less certain.

"I don't know now, I wonder if he had already done it or what," she said.

Deputies initially learned about the shooting after both Davis and Lee failed to pick up Lee's daughter from school by 6 p.m., Fortunato said. When deputies arrived at the school, the girl told them where she lived and they drove by to check on the address. No one answered at the time, and the deputies left to try and contact other relatives, Fortunato said.

The deputies were unsuccessful and ultimately returned to the home and entered through an unlocked rear window, he said. Once inside, deputies found Davis and Lee dead, with several shell casings near Davis' body.

Information on how long Lee and Davis had been dead was not available Friday.

Fortunato said that Lee's daughter is in the custody of relatives.