A 14-year-old has died from injuries sustained in a shooting incident that occurred in Church Point Tuesday night.
Church Point Police responded to the shooting around 7 p.m. on South McMillan and East Ebey Street. The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office was requested to handle the investigation.
Authorities say two victims were shot at by two suspects while walking. Multiple shots were fired with the victims, and one victim was struck. Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the victim, a 14-year-old male, died from his injuries. The victim's identity and further information is being withheld by law enforcement at this time, but family members confirm with KATC that the victim is Trequan Butler.
Nicholas Ardoin, 18, of Church Point, was arrested on Wednesday on two counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder and Aggravated Criminal Damage to Property. Bond has been set at $510,000. A second suspect, a juvenile, is being questioned in connection with the incident.
Family members say Trequan was walking with his friend and cousin, when someone opened fire. According to the family, the group began running and Trequan was hit with a bullet. His cousin noticed him on the ground, they say, and pulled him towards a nearby bank to get away from the gunshots.
The family is now devastated and say they just want to know the motive behind the shooting.
"I think the young kids should put the guns down," said Carey Citizen, Trequan's uncle. "It's too much black on black crime. It's ridiculous. A child. An innocent bystander gone. He didn't even experience life yet. The generation is not the same."
Meanwhile, Lisa Citizen, Trequan's aunt, says "half of [his school friends] couldn't go to school today because of what happened."
KATC's Kendria Lafleur spoke with several people in Church Point about the shooting. One woman says that Tuesday night while driving in the area, she saw two teenage boys by a nearby bank. She says they were both against a wall and one of them fell to the ground; someone then ran away with his hands on his head, she adds. Sometime later, she saw an officer on scene doing CPR on the victim who fell to the ground.
The woman adds that she saw a vehicle near the crime scene that was struck by a bullet. It had broken glass near the back passenger window, she said, and a young child that was in the backseat crying, but okay.
She commented that seeing that the people involved were so young is "heartbreaking." Another person we spoke with said the same thing.
"It's pitiful. It's sad. I have grandkids and I wouldn't want my grandkids to, you know. I feel for the family and I feel for whoever did it. One life gone and one life lost, because he's going to the system, whoever did it," the person said.
Trequan's family says they are still coping with the loss and they plan on holding a vigil soon in honor of Trequan.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call APSO detectives at 788-8721 or Crime Stoppers of Acadia Parish at 789-8477.
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