Armed assailant wounds 3 law enforcement officers, 2 non-combatants in residential area near New Orleans.
A 31-year-old man named Matthew Lathers was identified as the suspect in a shooting incident that left two people injured in Kenner, Louisiana. The suspect had an extraordinary criminal history with open warrants for attempted murder and armed robbery.
On 9:45 a.m. of an unspecified day, Kenner police authorities were called to the scene after receiving reports of gun violence outside a private residence. The victims were reportedly seated in a vehicle at the time. Capt. Michael Cunningham of the Kenner Police Department revealed that the victims might have been on their way to or from church when the incident occurred.
The victims indicated the location from where the shots were fired, which eventually led the authorities to a family member's house. Matthew Lathers, the suspect, was the occupant of the house. A search warrant was issued following the identification of Lathers' family ties and his previous history.
A SWAT team was dispatched to the location to execute the search warrant. As soon as they stormed the house, they were hit with heavy gunfire. Returning fire, one SWAT team member was injured, and so were three other officers.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office was then requested to intervene, as the suspect continued to fire at the department's armored vehicle. Negotiation efforts failed to bear any fruit. A sniper from the Sheriff's Office successfully neutralized Lathers, who tragically passed away as a result of his injuries.
The two officers injured during the initial gunfire have since been discharged from the hospital. The other officer is in a stable condition at this time.
These injured civilians who were bystanders during the earlier incident are also said to be in stable condition in the hospital.
Sheriff Joseph Lopinto has stated that his office will be responsible for further investigations into the shooting.
Kenner is a town firmly located approximately 13 miles west of New Orleans.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
