Councilwoman Taylor asks public to turn in the Sugar Street shooter(s)
Four children and an unknown number of adults are recovering from gunshot wounds this evening after needless violence injured at least seven in the 1600 block of Sugar Street on Sunday afternoon.
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) - Four children and an unknown number of adults are recovering from gunshot wounds this evening after needless violence injured at least seven in the 1600 block of Sugar Street on Sunday afternoon.
“Around 1400, which is 2:00 our time, we received calls about a shooting,” said Chief Wayne Smith of the Shreveport PD as he described the scene. “When officers got here, they discovered that in fact, it was a shooting. At this point, we believe six or seven people inside the residence were injured from gunfire, and at least four of the victims inside the residence were juveniles.”
By the time of the interview early Sunday afternoon, all of the injured had been transported to the hospital.
“It makes me extremely angry that someone would take it upon themselves to try to hurt anyone, but to shoot just recklessly into a home, the kids that were in there had no idea. They could not have been involved in an argument—not at all. They could not have had anything to do at all with anything that caused this,” said Chief Smith. “The amount of rounds that were shot into the house were quite a bit. There ain’t no doubt in my mind somebody stopped and specifically focused on that residence.”
Standing at the Chief’s side, Shreveport City Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor nodded in agreement until she stepped up to the microphones.
“When people purpose in their hearts to go in and kill, and especially when you hurt innocent children in this, I don’t know what your train of thought is,” she said firmly. “The only thing I can do is be here and allow them (the family) to release the way they need to release and pray for an outcome for their loved ones who have been hurt.”
Taylor said she recognized what happened here. She said we have a serious issue.
“If you know who these individuals are, you need to turn them in so these families can get some peace.”
Chief Smith said SPD does not have a suspect at this time.
James Green, Shreveport City Councilman, said it comes down to one thing: Shreveport’s in a prayer crisis.
“I’d like to lift our hands for a moment of prayer,” he said during the news conference on Sugar Street on Sunday afternoon. “I’d like for every citizen, whether you are on the right side or the left side, to join us in prayer. We ask that every saint would ask covering for our city.”
Chief Smith said the SPD will spend the evening canvasing the neighborhood to seek out additional evidence and comfort the family of the injured.
James Green asked for others to pray.
And Tabatha Taylor said those people with a purpose in their hearts to kill literally just piss her off.
“How many more children do you want to hurt?” she asked.
Then Taylor made an important point. “And the other part that saddens me is that sometimes, they’re (the shooters are) just children themselves.”