A LaPlace man is behind bars on a $310,000 bond after deputies say he fired into a car carrying his former partner and their two young children. The kids, just three and one years old, were inside the vehicle at the time but suffered no reported injuries. Authorities identified the suspect as Kirshon Stevens, who is being held in the parish jail, as reported by WDSU.
What deputies say
The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office told WDSU that deputies responded around 9:10 p.m. after a driver reported he was being followed. Investigators say the caller told deputies that Stevens pulled up beside the car, shouted at his girlfriend and fired a shot into the passenger-side door while the two children sat inside, the sheriff's office said.
Charges and custody status
According to WDSU, Stevens faces charges including assault by drive-by shooting, aggravated criminal damage to property, assault with a firearm and illegal use of weapons. The outlet's report also uses conflicting language on when the arrest happened, stating both that "Stevens was arrested on Sunday" and later that "Stevens was arrested on Monday," a discrepancy the sheriff's office did not clarify in the story.
Background and local context
The arrest lands in the middle of a local crackdown on gun crimes. Earlier this month, deputies arrested six people and recovered four firearms after a separate LaPlace gunfire incident. Across Louisiana, a string of recent cases in which children were endangered or struck during shootings involving vehicles has highlighted how quickly personal disputes can put bystanders in the line of fire. That includes a New Year's Eve case in Baton Rouge in which a toddler was critically wounded, as detailed by WAFB.
What happens next
Stevens remains in the St. John Parish jail while prosecutors review the case and it moves through parish court. At the time of the reports, the sheriff's office had not released additional details about a possible motive or an arraignment date.
