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The 2022 MCCA Mardi Gras parade on Saturday, Feb. 26, was rather peaceful, with police making only two misdemeanor arrests on the parade route, according to reports from the Bogalusa Police Department. However, the peacefulness would not last into the night.

At 6:28 pm, officers patrolling the south side of town heard gunshots and responded to the area of the shooting, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at East Fourth Street. Upon arrival they discovered a chaotic scene, with several subjects shot. As officers brought the scene under control, EMS arrived and began treating victims. Two wounded subjects were transported to Our Lady of the Angels Emergency Room by a BPD officer, while others were transported by ambulance. A total of 10 people were treated for gunshot wounds ranging from minor to serious, but thankfully there were no fatalities, BPD officials said. Several vehicles and a storefront were also damaged by gunshots.

BPD detectives began an investigation on the scene of the shooting and at the hospital, questioning witnesses and victims. Early on in the investigation it was determined that Less Dillon, 41, of Bogalusa, began firing from a vehicle at subjects in front of the store. Bystanders returned fire. Dillon was seriously wounded in the exchange of gunfire, and was air lifted to an area hospital.

Arrest warrants were obtained for Dillon, and upon his release from the hospital he was arrested as a fugitive by a neighboring agency. He is being held pending transport back to Bogalusa to face multiple charges related to the shooting, including attempted first-degree murder. It is believed that the motive leading to the shooting is related to domestic violence, and most of the victims were unintended bystanders, BPD officials said.

Less Dillon has been arrested by the BPD 18 times since 2003 for a variety of charges. He is a convicted felon with a history of domestic violence, as well as prior weapons and narcotics charges.

The investigation is active and ongoing and more arrests are expected in this case. If anyone has any information they would like to share, BPD detectives can be contacted at 985-732-6238.