More than a dozen people injured in separate Friday night, Saturday morning shootings in Shreveport

Misty Castile, Shreveport Times
·2 min read
3
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux speaks at a press conference following a violent night in Shreveport on March 25, 2023.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux speaks at a press conference following a violent night in Shreveport on March 25, 2023.

At least 12 people were injured in separate shooting incidents Friday night in Shreveport. Now, the mayor and the Downtown Development Authority are speaking out.

At 11 p.m., 11 units were on the scene of a shooting that occurred at a cookout on the 1800 block of Logan Street.

The victims are said to have been in an open garage when gunfire came from an unknown source and seven people were injured.

Early Saturday morning, March 25, at 1:44 a.m., police responded to a shooting at the Texas Street and Market Street intersection.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith speaks at a press conference after a violent night in Shreveport on March 25, 2023.
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith speaks at a press conference after a violent night in Shreveport on March 25, 2023.

Three men and three women were shot while waiting at an intersection when a silver car pulled up and several men stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire.

2022Shreveport teen killed in Thursday afternoon shooting identified by Caddo coroner

One suspect is in custody relating to the incident on Texas Street and police are continuing their investigation to see if the two shootings last night and this morning were somehow connected.

In a press release, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said the city is reaching outside the area for help investigating the shootings, as well as additional measures by the SPD.

"As we continue to pray for the victims of these crimes, it is important for our citizens to know that the City will use everything available to it to both catch the perpetrators of these crimes and to prevent other crimes from occurring. Mayor Tom Arceneaux has instructed the Shreveport Police Department and other departments assisting to deployadditional cameras in high crime locations," the release said.

Arceneaux said he has also asked the US government to investigate any criminal conspiracies that fall within the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, as the city believes many of the recent violent crimes may fall under the RICO statute, which carries stiffer penalties.

2022Caddo Middle Magnet principal talks about shooting death of student

The mayor and Police Chief Wayne Smith are also talking with the Louisiana State Police about utilizing their assistance in investigating these violent crimes.

In a press release, the Downtown Development Authority condemned the shootings and stood with city officials.

"It is safe to say that the persons responsible for this crime do not care about their victims, do not care about downtown, and do not care about our city. They are the outliers in a city filled with many more good people than bad," the release said.

"The Downtown Development Authority stands with police and other partners to employ whatever means are available to bring any responsible parties to justice. Meanwhile, we will continue our work to make downtown a place filled with art, events, business, and opportunities. We refuse to let the bad people win."

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: 12 injured in separate shootings in Shreveport Friday night