By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish authorities are investigating a shooting incident in Garyville early Saturday that sent a 27-year-old man to the hospital with injuries, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called out to the 100 block of Historic East Street around 3:20 a.m. and found the unidentified victim with a small gunshot wound to the back of his left leg, said Capt. Dane Clement, a public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office. Clement said the victim told deputies he was shot by another man at a home in the 400 block of Historic Main Street in Garyville.

Clement said both men knew each other prior to the shooting incident. He said the victim was transported to University Hospital in New Orleans, where he is being treated for his injury and his condition is not known.

When authorities spoke with the shooter, he explained that he awoke in the middle of the night to someone knocking at the front door of his home. He said the subject later moved to the side door and continued to knock before moving back to the front door. 

As the knocking persisted, the shooter said he armed himself with a .22 caliber rifle, opened the front door and confronted the victim. According to the release, the shooter said he fired his rifle toward the victim as the victim lunged toward him.

Clement said detectives have not had an opportunity to adequately interview the victim of the shooting. He said the investigation is ongoing and charges are pending based on the conclusion of the investigation and statements from the victim.