By LEONARD GRAY

RESERVE – The third suspect in an attempted murder in the Reserve Oaks public housing development was apprehended Sept. 4 by St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff’s deputies.

Cardell Cosey, 20, of 223 E. 14th St., was booked with illegal use of weapons by firing from a vehicle, three counts simple criminal damage to property and four counts attempted first-degree murder, related to a disturbance with weapons on Aug. 20, Capt. Michael Tregre reported.

Tregre added that an anonymous phone call tipped off deputies Wednesday of Cosey’s presence on E. 14th Street, the caller even providing the vehicle description, license number and direction of travel.

Deputies arrived and after searching the residence where the car was parked in the 200 block, located him in his former residence.

Tregre continued that the current resident permitted deputies to search the place, and they located Cosey and placed him in custody. The current resident said Cosey was there without his permission, but declined to press charges.

Also, a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver was recovered from behind the residence’s front step, Tregre said. The handgun had been earlier reported stolen from Nick’s Shooting Range in Garyville.

Bond was set at $300,000 by 40th Judicial District Judge Mary Hotard Becnel.

On the day of the shooting, deputies were called at 4:57 p.m., after several people had shots fired at them in the 100 block of E. 13th Street.

According to one victim, he and several friends were helping a resident move, when Cosey approached and said he and some others would “jump” him. The victim left to warn his friends, while he walked in the apparent direction of his own home.

Minutes later, Tregre related, shots were fired from the north end of E.13th Street near the E. 12th crossover, toward the victims. The group took cover, and one was able to identify Cosey as the main shooter. No one was injured in the incident.

Cosey’s cousin, Reginald Cosey, 18, of 271 E. 13th St., in Reserve, was quickly taken into custody after being identified as one of the shooters, and charged with illegal use of weapons during a felony, two counts simple criminal damage to property and four counts attempted first-degree murder. His bond was set at $300,000 by Judge Becnel.

Tregre added that on Aug. 24, deputies located another cousin, Carl Michael Cosey, 20, of 310 E. 13th St., Apt. A, Reserve, and charged him in connection to the same incident, as well as from an outstanding warrant from the Aug. 8 raid on the housing development.

A search warrant on Carl Cosey’s residence turned up a 9mm handgun, later determined to have been stolen from Nick’s Shooting Range in Garyville, Tregre said.

Bond was set for Carl Cosey at $25,000 by Judge Becnel.