Beloved beautician, 28, who was mother-of-two is identified after she was killed by ex-husband who then turned gun on himself

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:42, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 19:49, 3 June 2026 A beloved Louisiana mother-of-two was killed in an apparent murder-suicide after her ex-husband allegedly shot her in their apartment.  Meridian Thomas Woodson, 28, was killed May 28 in Elmwood, New Orleans when her former husband Kody Woodson, 30, opened fire before turning the gun on himself, police said.  Deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said they found Kody in his vehicle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a nearby parking lot.  The husband survived the initial gunshot and was transported to hospital, and he died the next day.  Reports say the couple were in the midst of a divorce at the time, however authorities did not give details over what led up to the horror shooting.  Tributes poured in for Meridian as a devoted mother of two young daughters.  'Meridian was a light in everyone's life,' her friend Rita Rando said in a GoFundMe set up for her daughters, aged four and seven.  'Meridian's kindness, compassion, and unwavering faith in God touched everyone she met. She was always there to care for her family and those around her, offering support, encouragement, and love.' Meridian Thomas Woodson, 28, was killed May 28 in Elmwood, New Orleans when her former husband Kody Woodson, 30, opened fire before turning the gun on himself, police said The couple were in the midst of a contentious divorce at the time  The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said the tragedy was discovered after deputies were called to the couple's apartment to investigate a 'disturbance.'  After Meridian's body was found inside the apartment, the sheriff's office said deputies 'searched the surrounding area, they located the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of a nearby business.' 'The male inside was suffering from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.'  Local outlet WDSU cited court records that alleged the couple had a turbulent relationship, including allegations of domestic violence and custody battles over their two young daughters.  The reported records showed both parents lodged allegations of abuse against each other, and both petitioned courts to make the other attend domestic violence intervention classes.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.