1 child dead, 2 injured in Swan Avenue shooting, family says

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The family of three children who were shot Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 27, say one child is dead and two others are in the hospital after multiple shots were fired at their car.

Multiple Baton Rouge police units and ambulances responded to the shooting, which occurred around 1 p.m.

According to police, a Honda Accord was sprayed with bullets, causing the woman driving to crash into a tree in front of a barber shop.

The barbershop owner, John Willis III, said everyone scattered when the gunshot rang out.

“You could still hear the shots. Children screaming, shouting. People running around with blood on them. It all happened so fast, too,” Willis said.

Police say the woman, a pregnant mother, was unharmed, but her three children, who were also in the car, were all hit by the bullets.

All three boys were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries and two with serious injuries. Family members confirmed to 9News that the oldest, a seven-year-old, has died. The ages of the other two children have not been released. However, according to the family, another of the boys is awaiting surgery.

BRPD Chief TJ Morse called it “a targeted attack.”

“I hope people are as mad as I am,” Chief Morse said. “There are 20 or 30 casings on the street. This car has been hit so many times, but it’s not worth it.”

Further investigation found about 60 casings in total.

Willis says that moments before the chaos, his daughter asked if she and her friends could play outside.

“I said no because you have no adult supervision out here. Good thing they didn’t go outside. So close to home it hit,” Willis said.

The investigation is ongoing.

Mayor President Sharon Weston Broome released the following statement in response to the shooting:

“Our hearts are broken by the news that three young children were shot today in a targeted shooting on Swan Avenue in Scotlandville. We understand that all three children were transported to a local hospital and we join our hearts together as a community and pray for each of these young people and their families. There are no words to express how much pain the choice of some adults to engage in this violence has caused to these children’s family members, their young friends, classmates and teachers and our entire community.You each remain in our prayers constantly.

Our Baton Rouge Police Department is diligently working on every lead in this case and we will not rest until any perpetrators of this violence are brought to justice. We need your help as a community to share any information that you think might be helpful in solving this case. We certainly all want to see a safe holiday season that allows us to celebrate and not mourn. And as a community, we join our hearts together in earnest prayer at this time.”

Superintendent LaMont Cole with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System also released a statement:

“Today we are heartbroken and heartbroken to report that three of our beloved students were shot in a horrific act of violence. Tragically, one of these children has lost their life. We send our prayers and deepest condolences to the families and friends who affected by this senseless act.As a community we must come together to address and fight the violence that continues to threaten our youth.

All children deserve to feel safe and secure, not only in their schools, but also in their neighborhoods. It is imperative that we work together to end this cycle of violence, especially when it involves our children. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire EBR Schools family, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy. We will continue to provide support to our students and staff during this difficult time and encourage everyone to stand together for peace and safety in our community.”

If you know anything that could help police, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP (7867)

This is a development story.

Click here to report a typo. Please include the title.

Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily roundup and breaking news alerts delivered directly to your email inbox.

Copyright 2024 WAFB. All rights reserved.