BOGALUSA, La. — At least 13 people were wounded Saturday, one critically, after a shooting at a Louisiana memorial service for a homicide victim, authorities said.
The shooting occurred just after 9 p.m. as a crowd gathered to honor Dominique Audrell James, 29, who was found dead in his car Friday morning after being reported missing two days earlier, NOLA.com reported.
Police are investigating the case as a homicide.
Update 3:40 p.m. EDT May 17: Maj. Troy Tervalon, of he Bogalusa Police Department., said his agency did not have a motive for either the homicide or the shooting at the service, NOLA.com reported.
“It is very unusual -- it would be unusual for any town,” Tervalon said about James’ murder and the subsequent shootings.
Police said they found several victims with gunshot wounds and asked for help securing the scene, NOLA.com reported. The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office, Louisiana State Police, the Varnado Police Department, the Bogalusa Fire Department and Northshore emergency medical services responded, officials said.
“All the law enforcement in Washington Parish responded to that,” Randy Seal, the Washington Parish Sheriff. told NOLA.com. “It was a horrible, unfortunate thing. I don’t understand it."
Original report: Officials said no eyewitnesses have come forward to discuss the shooting, WWL-TV reported.
One of the people wounded was taken to an area hospital and was in critical condition, WDSU reported. The severity of the other people’s injuries was not known, the television station reported.
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