Etric Peterson, the man wanted in connection with a shootout Monday morning, turned himself into authorities Tuesday night, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Haley said.

Haley said Peterson turned himself in because of the flood of media and social media attention he received after the sheriff’s office released his photo and details from the shooting incident.

“He turned himself in based on the publicity that was out there,” Haley said. “He couldn’t have all the publicity, with everything being out there on Facebook.”

The shootout occurred between two cars traveling on Ben’s Ford Road and it led to the arrest of three men on Monday. Norwood S. Lacrosse, 25, of Highway 40 in Bush, and Joseph Anthony Peoples, 24, of Denham Avenue in Bogalusa were arrested in connection with the shootout and Eron Chance Williams, 24, a resident of Avenue I in Bogalusa, was arrested for possession of drugs after deputies found him allegedly with drugs near Peterson’s apartment.

On Monday, Haley said the sheriff’s office didn’t know exactly what precipitated the shootout, but he suspected it was drug-related. Sheriff’s deputies found two pounds of marijuana plus drug paraphernalia in Peterson’s apartment.

Haley did say, however, that Peterson’s version of events is different than Peoples’ and Norwood’s.

“He tells a totally different story than the other two characters tell,” Haley said.

Parish Sheriff Randy Seal commented on the publicity that prompted Etric Peterson to turn himself in.

“This is a great example of the partnership between the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office and area media outlets,” Seal said. “Publicity generated through newspaper articles, television broadcasts and website postings always put pressure on a wanted person. We appreciate the relationship with have with our media friends.

“Peterson made the right decision by turning himself in. He realized that we would have caught him eventually.”