The Ruston Police Department has identified the 30-year-old man killed in a shooting on Easter Sunday.
Deontrell Marquis Hunter of Ruston was shot at about 10:00 p.m. on April 20 in a parking lot on 302 South Farmerville Street.
Police Chief Eric Watson said investigators, who worked through the night and all day Monday, are making progress in the case after interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video to identify suspects.
The incident occurred during a series of gatherings in southeast Ruston that had kept police busy through the evening. Disturbances had occurred among large groups at Mayfield Park, a convenience store on S. Farmerville Street and a nearby car wash and directly in front of the barber shop.
At the time of the shooting, RPD officers were in a nearby parking lot trying to disperse a large crowd. Upon hearing gunfire, officers immediately responded to the scene and administered first aid to the victims.
“One officer placed a tourniquet on a victim’s leg to stop the bleeding,” Watson said. He said at least two of the injured were struck by bullets, possibly ricochets off the pavement, causing wounds to their lower extremities.
The other injuries appeared minor, said Watson who visited the Northern Louisiana Medical Center emergency room during the night where he said about 200 people were gathered outside. The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office joined RPD officers in providing security at the hospital.
“I talked to some in the crowd, asking why they were at the hospital,” Watson said. “Some said they were there to learn of the condition of some of the victims.”
Names of the five surviving victims have not been released.
Preliminary information gathered from witnesses suggests the incident was not random but rather the result of an ongoing dispute among extended family members. The argument reportedly began earlier in the day at Mayfield Park and escalated into violence later that evening.
The investigation indicates multiple individuals involved in the altercation were armed with handguns.
