IBERIA PARISH (JEANERETTE) — Recent shootings in Jeanerette have left families on edge, concerned for their safety and demanding action to curb the violence.
Around 10:00 p.m. on Nov. 10, 88-year-old Louvenia Antoine was hosting a family gathering at her rental home on Pelican Court when gunfire erupted outside.
"I was sitting there watching TV, and all of a sudden, I heard shooting, guns shooting," Antoine said. "I said, ‘My God, that’s someone in the front of the house shooting.’”
The family provided Ring camera footage, which shows a vehicle driving past Antoine’s home just before shots were fired. Thankfully, no one was injured in her home, but neighbors reported that a man was shot nearby. Attempts to verify this with local police were unsuccessful, and the Jeanerette Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Antoine's next-door neighbor discovered bullet holes in his vehicle and home, including one in the side of a garage. The neighbor whose property was damaged declined to comment but confirmed police collected bullets from the scene the following day.
Evelyn Antoine, Louvenia’s daughter, expressed her frustration over the safety of her elderly mother. "My mom, 88 years old—she should not have to go through things like that," she said.
Residents suspect the Nov. 10 shooting may be linked to another violent incident on Nov. 16, when Jamul Sparrow Jr., 23, was shot and killed while sitting in his car on the 1900 block of St. Charles Street. A 15-year-old has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile, and illegal use of a weapon.
Sparrow’s mother, Stephanie Steward, said her son was a quiet, respectful man who had no involvement with the suspects.
"My child didn’t bother nobody, he didn’t even know these guys," she said. "One the way to the store— it’s like, who’s gonna be held accountable?”
Steward expressed deep concerns about the role of parents in youth crime, questioning why young offenders are allowed to run the streets.
"Where are the parents? These are young boys, where are the parents letting their kids run around terrorizing the streets like this?" she said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
In response to the rising violence, Jeanerette Mayor Carol Bourgeois said more police presence alone would not solve the problem.
"Police presence helps—somewhat—to deter crime today; it doesn’t stop it, it doesn’t prevent it," she said. "The best we can do... is parents, do your best to maintain the authority you need to have with your child."
Bourgeois suggested that parents must take more responsibility for their children, pointing out that the real solution to the violence lies in stronger family involvement. For many in Jeanerette, the calls for change are growing louder as families fear for their safety and demand accountability for those behind the recent shootings.
