ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / October 25, 2000

RESERVE – A Lutcher man is dead and a Reserve man was wounded in the wake of a shoot-out Saturday night at a night spot on Louisiana Highway 44 in Reserve.

Joshua Adams, 22, of LaPlace is in jail and charged with second-degree murder in the death of James D. Burl, 22, of Lutcher. This is the fifth homicide in St. John the Baptist Parish this year.St. John Parish deputies responded to a call of a man with a gun at the Dreams nightclub in Reserve at 3:45 a.m. Saturday. When they arrived they found Burl on the floor of the club with two gunshot wounds to the chest.

They also found the club’s disc jockey wounded. He had been shot in the leg during the shoot-out. The disc jockey was taken to Charity Hospital in New Orleans, treated and released on Sunday. Burl was pronounced dead on the scene by parish coroner Dr. Christie Montegut.While the deputies were investigating the shootings, 9-1-1 operators received a call from Adams saying he was at the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace and wanted to turn himself in for the shooting.

Deputies found Adams waiting with his hands on the car. After a search they found a .40 caliber Luger pistol and an SKS assault rifle in his car.The investigation of the shooting revealed that Burl and Adams had a long-standing feud. Deputies are still not sure what the motive for the feud is, but when Adams saw Burl at the nightclub he went back to his car for the Luger, and Burl got his rifle.

According to deputies, Burl and Adams exchanged at least 24 rounds of gunfire in the parking lot of the club. One of the bullets went through the wall of the club and struck the disc jockey in the leg. Two rounds struck Burl in the chest. He dropped his assault rifle and ran into the club where he collapsed.

A friend of Adams” Jules Green of LaPlace, went to his car and got a 9mm pistol. He fired it into the air to disperse the crowd. Then he and Adams got into Adams’ car and fled toward LaPlace. Along the way they left the 9mm pistol at a friend’s house. Adams drove to the parish jail and turned himself in.

The deputies recovered Green’s gun, and further investigation showed that the 9mm was stolen from a burglary in Wallace during Christmas 1998.

Green was charged with illegally discharging a weapon and possession of stolen property. He is presently out on bail.Adams is still in jail under a $200,000 bond.

Return To News Stories