By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

HAHNVILLE – Authorities in St. Charles Parish arrested four men Monday in connection with a shooting incident in Hahnville that put another man in the hospital with critical injuries, according to a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Earl M. Norman, 20, of 12200 Morrison Road, New Orleans; Aaron A. Williams, 24, of 632 Courthouse Lane, Hahnville; Adrian Mitt, 26, of 373 Smith St., Hahnville; and Javin C. Downing, 20, of 240 Trailsway Drive, Hahnville, were arrested late Monday for their involvement in the shooting of 20-year-old Davin Washington of Hahnville earlier in the afternoon near the Richard Smith Housing Complex in Hahnville, said Capt. Pat Yoes, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office.

Yoes said Washington remains hospitalized at University Hospital in New Orleans, where he is listed in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head and upper leg.

According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, witnesses said Washington was seen driving along Sunset Court near the housing complex around 1 p.m. Monday when he got out of his car and started arguing with Norman. Yoes said investigators do not yet know the motive behind the argument.

At some point in the altercation, Norman produced a handgun and started firing several shots at Washington, hitting him twice. Washington was initially transported to St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling before being transferred to University Hospital.

Yoes said Williams, Mitt and Downing were all at the scene with Norman at the time of the shooting. Norman and Downing fled on foot toward the office of a construction company on Home Place not far from the scene. Yoes said one was arrested inside the building, while another was apprehended in the parking lot. According to the report, Downing took possession of the gun Norman used in the shooting and tried to hide it at the construction company’s office. Yoes said authorities were able to retrieve the gun.

Williams fled in a vehicle, but was apprehended not far from the complex. Arresting deputies discovered crack cocaine inside Williams’ car.

According to the report, Mitt was arrested at the scene in possession of a handgun, which was not used in the shooting.

Yoes said Washington has an extensive rap sheet of arrests in St. Charles Parish. He is one of two men booked last may with two counts of attempted murder in connection with a shooting at a child’s birthday party in Killona. Yoes said Washington was out on bond and awaiting status hearings on the Killona shooting and other recent incidents.

Norman was booked with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of carrying an illegal weapon; Williams was booked with principle to attempted first-degree murder and possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute; Mitt was booked with accessory to attempted first-degree murder and Downing was booked with obstruction of justice.

Yoes said Tuesday that all four men were being held at the Nelson Coleman Correctional Facility in Killona while awaiting a bond hearing.

Bond information was not available at press time.