Officials with the Bogalusa Police Department told The Daily News on Tuesday morning that the BPD has investigated nine shooting incidents in the last 14 days, and there is a fear that more shootings could take place in the future.

“This is probably the worst two-week period that I’ve seen in my career, as far as violent crime goes,” Maj. Wendell O’Berry said.

O’Berry said that investigators believe that the shootings are all related. He said they likely stem from a long-standing feud between several families.

So far, there have not been any fatalities from the shootings, O’Berry said. As of Tuesday morning, there had been four victims involved and all were injured but survived. O’Berry said that the BPD believes that at least two of the victims were innocent bystanders who are not even involved in the feud.

“It’s only by the grace of God that somebody hasn’t been killed so far,” he said.

O’Berry noted that investigators have collected evidence from the crime scenes, and have sent the evidence to crime labs to be inspected. However, it could take multiple months until that evidence is returned, and even then, there is only the possibility that the inspection could lead to identification of suspects.

O’Berry said the case could be solved much quicker with the cooperation of the public, especially family members and close friends of those who are involved in the shooting feuds.

“There are people in the community who have seen things and know things,” he said. “They could come forward and cooperate and we could make arrests. Some of the parents involved in this are condoning their children’s actions and protecting them.

“But when they have to either visit them in prison or at the cemetery, it’s going to be too late.”

Anyone who has information on the shooting incidents can leave tips with the BPD in several ways. They can email Capt. David Miller, Criminal Investigation Division, at david.miller@bogalusa.org. They can also call the BPD’s tip line by dialing 985-732-6238. During the day from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., simply ask to be transferred to the tip line; during the night, there will be a recording directing the caller how to reach the tip line. Also, tipsters can call New Orleans Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. All tips can be left anonymously.

“We have multiple avenues that people have available to leave anonymous tips,” O’Berry said. “We do appreciate those, and they will be followed up. However, what we really need are some people to actually come forward, sit down and talk to us.

“I feel like when you know about crimes being committed, if you’re a good, honest person, then you have a moral obligation to tell the truth and to come to the police. If somebody would do this, it’s going to save lives.”

 

The shootings

O’Berry provided details on the nine separate shooting incidents, and noted that they are most likely related.

• On Wednesday, July 10, at 12:14 a.m., the BPD was dispatched to the 900 block of Dan Street. Multiple rounds were fired at a residence, and return fire came from inside the residence. A man inside the residence was hit one time and transported to the hospital.
• On Saturday, July 13, at 9:26 a.m., in the 800 block of MLK Jr. Drive, a man was sitting in front of the old Tyson’s Bar and was shot in a drive-by shooting. He was hit five to six times by the gunfire, but survived. Based on the rounds recovered, investigators believe an AK-47 type of rifle was involved.
• On Tuesday, July 16, at 3:10 p.m., around West 17th Street and Avenue F, a person in a truck was seen firing at people in a car. The victims in that incident did not report it to the police; a third party witnessed it and notified the BPD. Those involved reportedly fled the scene.
• On Tuesday, July 16, at 10:19 p.m., at 1003 S. Columbia St. (the Quick Shop), three individuals reportedly came into the business and attacked another individual inside. The victim of the attack reportedly had a pistol and walked outside, where he saw a pickup truck that was sitting in front of the business.

O’Berry said that the truck was occupied by two people “who had absolutely nothing to do with the fight.” The attackers had already fled the business.

“When the victim of the attack walked outside, he saw the truck sitting there,” O’Berry said. “As it pulled off, he opened fire on the truck. He hit the driver, missed the passenger, and shot the truck to pieces.”

The BPD’s investigation identified the shooting suspect as Jymon Jackson, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

• On Thursday, July 18, at 11:19 p.m., a woman was walking from her car to an apartment in the Bogue Projects. Someone opened fire on her with an AK-47 type of weapon — the weapon identification is based on casings that investigators recovered at the scene. The woman was not hit.
• On Saturday, July 20, at 12:03 p.m., in the 800 block of Avenue B, a shooting occurred in which one person drove by a residence where other people were outside, and began shooting at them. One of the people inside the residence reportedly got an AR-15 and returned fire. Nobody was hit. Police recovered the weapon but did not make any arrests, because they do not know if it was a case of self-defense. The shooting is still under investigation.

O’Berry noted that this shooting is especially frightening because it took place in broad daylight in a residential area. In addition, the “Police and Pals” family activity was taking place in Goodyear Park at the time, a mere three blocks away.

O’Berry said that during the investigation of this incident, police found Jackson at the residence and arrested him in connection with the Quick Shop shooting. Jackson was charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of weapons, illegal carrying of a weapon-felony, and aggravated criminal damage to property.

• On Sunday, July 21, at 12:17 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of College Street. Reportedly, there were five to 10 people inside a residence when it was fired upon from the backyard. Multiple rounds came into the house from the outside, and a 17-year-old male was struck. O’Berry said it is believed that the victim was not involved in the feud at all.

Based on investigations, police believe there were three shooters and they used an AK-47, an AR-15 and a 9-mm.

• On Monday, July 22, at 11:40 p.m., at Avenue K and West Seventh Street, the BPD received calls of multiple shots fired in the area. Tuesday morning, a homeowner notified the BPD that his house in the 1100 block of West Seventh Street had been hit by multiple bullets — he was apparently not home at the time.
• On Tuesday, July 23, at 1:06 a.m., the BPD received calls from an area of Dan Street and Long Avenue in reference to multiple shots fired. It is unknown where they came from, or who the targets were.

“We believe that all of them are related, based on information we have,” O’Berry said.

 

BPD: Incidents are a threat to public

BPD officials said that the frustrating thing about this spree of shootings is that they have taken place at all times of the day, and in multiple locations throughout the city.

“This has not been confined to one area of town,” O’Berry said. “It’s happening in the daytime, in the nighttime, you’ve got people going to work. It’s not at any specific time.

“We really need the public’s help to stop this. What concerns me the most is some of the locations where these are happening, in broad daylight and in neighborhoods with cars going down the street. Lots of innocent people around. I’m really afraid that some innocent person, who’s just driving down the street or is standing in their yard, is going to get killed.”

Miller said that the volume of shootings recently has put Bogalusa “right up there with the big cities.”

“And we don’t want to be on that list,” he said. “It’s going to take the public to make a stand. Someone to come forward and be willing to say what they know, and testify about what they know.

“In one incident, you had weapons being fired just a few blocks from where there was a family event going on. It’s ridiculous.”

O’Berry said that the police believe that most of the people involved in the shootings are young men — either teenagers or in their early 20s.

“They have no regard for human life,” he said. “They have no regard for their own lives. They live for the moment, and they’re extremely violent. They don’t care about the police. They don’t care about the public. They don’t care about anything.

“They just want to kill each other. What sense does that make?”