Eunice Police Chief calls out parents: "Parents need to start disciplining children"
EUNICE, La. (KLFY) -- Eunice police responded to a shooting in the 800 block of South Beulah Street over the weekend.
19-year-old Ray'zne Ivory is currently being held on charges of attempted first-degree murder and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Ivory and three other suspects were involved in a car chase this weekend following a shooting that injured 20-year-old Nathanial Freeman.
This weekend, there were four reported shootings.
Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot stops short of calling it gang violence and describes it as a group of young people seeking revenge and shooting one another for shooting someone in their group.
"Since the first of the year, we have seen an increase in shootings,” said Chief Randy Fontenot.
Fontenot says gun violence is happening with people between the ages of 16 years and early 20's.
"Local groups of boys who want to be gang members that are warring against each other," Chief Fontenot said.
The Chief says the shootings that happened this weekend are connected to the death of Tyvon Favors and says he believes it’s retaliation from his death.
"I think he [Nathanial Freeman] was a victim of the retaliation from the Favors’ murder. Again I say victim but like I said last week the lines between victim and suspect it's very blurred right now."
The car chase of a stolen Black Honda Civic from Ville Platte involved Favors' girlfriend. She was the driver.
"Miss Ivory who was arrested is the girlfriend of Tyvon Favors who was murdered Friday so that shows you a positive connection.”
Chief says she has a child for Favors.
To help stop the gun violence with you, Fontenot says there needs to be better parenting in Eunice.
"Parents need to start disciplining children. Let them know that there are consequences for their actions,” he said.
And even though there is a shortage in the department right now, Fontenot says more will be done with search warrants.
"We're gonna be flooding the streets with police officers and we're going to be taking action."