RESERVE — Neighbors heard a scream and gunshots.

It was approximately 1 a.m. Wednesday on West 17th Street in Reserve, and those were not normal sounds.

St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies quickly responded, finding 47-year-old Rechelle Hotard unresponsive on the ground in front of the home she owned.

She was shot multiple times in the abdomen by what authorities believe was a handgun.

Hotard passed away quickly due to injuries suffered from the gunfire, police said, noting the coroner’s officer pronounced the victim deceased on the scene.

Within 12 hours, a 15-year-old male Reserve resident who lived one block over was in custody, charged with second degree murder, police said.

Due to his age, police are not releasing the suspect’s name.

St. John Sheriff Mike Tregre said his office will turn over findings to the District Attorney’s Office, which can choose to proceed to indict the teenager as either a juvenile or adult.

Tregre said detectives are still ascertaining a definitive motive for the killing.

“What really led us to (the suspect) is we had people outside who heard a scream, heard the shots and saw a male subject running,” Tregre said.

“With the witnesses who saw the suspect running, combined with surveillance video, we were able to track him to his location.”

Neighbors said the suspect was known in the community for vandalism and theft, though the level of violence that played out surprised many.

Despite the fatal attack, Tregre said Wednesday’s apprehension was incident free.

According to police, the victim and suspect knew each other, but community members said there was nothing significant to the individuals’ previous interactions.

The suspect is being held without bond at the Terrebonne Parish Juvenile Center.

The victim is the sister of St. John Parish Division B Councilwoman at Large Jaclyn Hotard.

Police said no one was at the house besides the victim when they arrived.

According to Tregre, Reserve neighbors have been “very helpful.”

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111, the TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS, Criminal Investigations Division at 985-359-8775 or dispatch at 985-652-6338.