By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A party Sunday in LaPlace turned violent when two men were shot and wounded while they were trying to leave, according to a release from the St. John Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to the 100 block of Apricot Street around 1:10 a.m. Sunday after a report of several gunshots in the area. Soon after they arrived, 911 dispatchers alerted the deputies that two men, a 20-year-old male and a 19-year-old male, had arrived at River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace for treatment of gunshot wounds, said Capt. Dane Clement, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Clement said the 20-year-old had a wound to his right foot while the 19-year-old had a wound to his left calf. Clement said the 19-year-old was treated and released, while the 20-year-old is getting further treatment for his injuries.

According to a report from the responding deputies, the victims said they were at a party on Apricot Street when a man at the party became hostile toward them. The two men left the party to avoid any confrontation. 

The report said as the men drove away, gunshots were fired from an unknown area striking their car. After they had driven away from the area, they stopped to look for damage caused by the gunshots.

While looking at their vehicle, another car approached and slowed as it neared them. An unidentified man in the approaching vehicle began shooting a handgun from the passenger side window, striking each of them. Clement said investigators do not have a description of the vehicle from which the shots were fired.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting should call St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Detectives at 985-359-8769 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.