Stray bullet that hit jogger traced to man doing target shooting, Louisiana cops say

Jogging through a Louisiana neighborhood nearly got a teenager killed when he crossed paths with a man target shooting in his yard, according to investigators.

It happened Saturday, April 20, in Luling, about a 25-mile drive west from New Orleans.

The 50-year-old suspect was in his backyard, firing a .22 caliber rifle at a target set up on the levee, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“(The man) was unaware that a 17-year-old male was jogging on the levee and upon firing his weapon he unintentionally struck the 17-year-old,” the sheriff’s office said.

“When (he) realized that he had shot the 17-year-old male, he immediately rendered aid to him until medical services arrived. The 17-year-old was airlifted to the hospital where he remains in stable condition.”

The identity of the teen has not been released.

Investigators say the suspect was arrested “and charged with negligent injuring and the parish ordinance relative to discharging a firearm in a residential area.” He was released on a $5,000 bond, officials said.

The levee where the victim was jogging is in the 500 block of Cypress Street, which is lined with single-family homes, maps show. The street is bordered by Bayou Lafourche on the north and a series of canals on the south.

This story was originally published April 22, 2024 at 8:08 AM with the headline "Stray bullet that hit jogger traced to man doing target shooting, Louisiana cops say."