By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Authorities with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office have few leads and limited information about a shooting in LaPlace Saturday that wounded an 18-year-old man, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Capt. Dane Clement, public information officer for the St. John Sheriff’s Office, said deputies were called out to the intersection of Yorktowne Drive and Newport Drive about 6:10 p.m. Saturday in response to calls of gunfire in the area. He said deputies canvassed the area around the intersection, but found no victim, no suspects, no evidence and no apparent witnesses.

“We spoke to numerous citizens who were outside in the neighborhood,” Clement said. “Many would not speak to deputies or said they knew nothing.”

Clement did say one resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told deputies the person with a gun was a male subject with dreadlocks and a blue jean jacket.

Just 20 minutes after the initial call, the Sheriff’s Office received a second call reporting gunshots in the same area. Clement said when deputies arrived they were met with the same circumstances as before – no victim, no suspects, no witnesses, no evidence. Clement said the responding deputies believed people in the neighborhood were reluctant to get involved in the investigation.

Then, at 10:28 p.m., St. John 911 operators received a call from Kenner Regional Medical Center personnel, who reported a walk-in patient with a gunshot wound to his right inner thigh.

Clement said the victim, a resident of Derek Lane in LaPlace, told detectives he had been shot in LaPlace, but he refused to give much more information. Clement said the victim was uncooperative when questioned about the circumstances of the shooting.

Detectives are unsure of the exact location of the shooting and have limited information about what exactly happened. Clement said anyone with information regarding the incident should call St. John Detective Walter Stevens at 985-359-8769 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.