By Bonnie Culverhouse
Police are investigating a shooting which occurred late Sunday night, that sent a juvenile to the hospital with a critical injury.
Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper said Monday his detectives are chasing leads.
“We had some shots fire (last) night around 10:30 or 11 p.m.,” Cropper said. “Capt. Kirk Morgan was already en route – we had a lot of calls about a large group of kids on MLK Drive. He actually heard the shots going off and saw the people running toward him, trying to get away.”
When Morgan first arrived, the chief said he did not see anyone injured.
“But one young man was struck by a bullet as he was trying to run away from the scene,” said the chief. “He was put into a private vehicle and taken to the (Minden) emergency room.”
Cropper said the medical center contacted his office reporting the injury.
“It was a 17-year-old juvenile, and he was struck in the back very close to his spine,” Cropper said. “It was so close to the spine, they made the decision to leave the bullet there. They were concerned that if they went in and tried to remove the bullet, it could injure him even more.”
The victim was transferred to Ocshner LSU Health in Shreveport.
“He is in ICU now,” said the chief. “His mother said he is in stable condition.”
According to Cropper around 14 bullet casings from at least two weapons were found at the scene. He was unsure how many of the persons were present or how many were juveniles.
The investigation is ongoing. If you have information for the police, please call 371-4226.
