Gretna police have intensified their search for 56-year-old Mark Haynes, who is now the prime suspect in a fatal shooting that occurred on Sunday at the Creekside Apartment Complex. According to WWLTV, Haynes is wanted on charges of second-degree murder and weapons violations. The suspect, who police say should be considered "armed and dangerous," is a previously convicted violent felon currently on parole for armed robbery.
On Sunday morning, authorities received a distressing report around 6:30 a.m. about a man discovered in the parking lot at 1400 Virgil Street, WDSU reports. Arriving at the scene, police found the victim, who was later pronounced deceased, suffering multiple gunshot wounds, lying face up.
The deceased individual has been identified as 48-year-old Michael K. Smith of New Orleans. Gretna Police Deputy Chief Jason DiMarco revealed that Haynes and Smith were strangers to one another and that the violent act stemmed from an altercation. As per information obtained by NOLA.com, Haynes is alleged to have shot Smith following an argument.
Haynes, with a criminal past including a conviction for two counts of armed robbery in 1997 and sentenced as a habitual offender to nearly five decades in prison, was on parole at the time of the shooting. The Gretna Police Department is actively urging anyone with pertinent information to reach out to Sergeant Cody Arabie with the Gretna Police Department Detective Bureau at 504-366-4374, as the investigation is ongoing.
