According to the St. John Sheriff, the two people killed in the triple shooting in LaPlace were innocent bystanders

LAPLACE, La. (WVUE) – St. John The Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre says he wants the death penalty for the two suspected gunmen accused of killing 11-year-old Samiya McClain and her uncle Ron Tate.

Tregre said the victims were shot Friday night (Oct. 4) at Tate’s home near Sugar Ridge Road and Cinclair Loop. Tate’s family members gathered for a three-year-old’s birthday party.

Surveillance video from the neighborhood shows that just before midnight, two gunmen emerged from behind bushes and a parked car and began shooting at someone walking in front of Tate’s home.

The intended target was not injured. But Tate, McClain and another person in the house were shot. Tate and his niece ultimately died from their injuries. Tregre said a third family member suffered a graze wound to the leg and will survive.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested shooting suspects Cartez Foster and Patrick Maxon Saturday morning near Severn Avenue, Tregre said.

Tregre said the suspects allegedly pistol-whipped a woman during a high school football game near East St. John Stadium on Friday night. He said the woman’s group of friends retaliated and beat up Foster and Maxon.

In revenge, Tregre says the two followed the group to the Sugar Ridge neighborhood in LaPlace and opened fire when they saw one of the people they had beaten walking on the sidewalk outside.

“They drove to the subdivision, exited their vehicle and fired multiple shots at their intended target,” Tregre said. “There are young people who are not able to resolve conflicts.”

The intended target was neither hit nor injured in the shooting, but Tate and McClain were.

“Both of them were completely innocent and had no idea what was happening on the street in front of their house,” Tregre said.

The sheriff said investigators worked long hours to track down the suspected gunmen. But ultimately it was many of the township’s more than 300 crime cameras that were able to locate the suspect’s car across township lines in Metairie.

“If we didn’t have crime cameras, where would we be in our investigations?” Tregre asked himself.

And as investigators continue to gather evidence, Tregre believes he has enough evidence to justify the death penalty. That decision ultimately rests with the township’s district attorney, Bridget Dinvaut.

“I don’t agree with Gov. Jeff Landry on everything, but I do agree with the death penalty,” Tregre said. “I don’t know what will happen with this case, but I feel like we have a good case with physical evidence. So we’ll see what happens as it goes through the criminal justice system.”

Do you see a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Click here to report it. Please provide the heading.

Subscribe to Fox 8 YouTube channel.

Copyright 2024 WVUE. All rights reserved.