Louisiana Man Shoots Teen in Road Rage; Police Call It a ‘Senseless Tragedy’
Pregnant teen killed in Louisiana road rage; newborn critical.
A tragic road rage shooting in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, claimed the life of 17-year-old Katelynn Strate, who was seven months pregnant, igniting outrage among state officials. The incident occurred around 9 a.m. on Sunday, approximately 80 kilometers north of New Orleans, when 54-year-old Barry West, driving a silver truck, fired a single shot into an SUV carrying Strate, striking her in the head.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office reported that Strate was placed on life support, and her baby, delivered via emergency cesarean section, is stable in a neonatal intensive care unit.
The shooting stemmed from a confrontation involving tailgating and “brake-checking” between West and the SUV’s driver. West claimed the SUV’s occupants shot at him first, but authorities found no evidence of gunfire from the SUV or any weapon inside.
West faces charges of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, and obstruction of justice. Strate, who later passed away, was declared a “donor hero” by the sheriff’s office for her organ donation.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill condemned the violence on X, stating, “This poor infant is fighting for their life in the NICU while his or her mother is on life support. All because of road rage? There is no excuse.” Sheriff Gerald Sticker called the incident a “senseless tragedy,” emphasizing the profound loss to Strate’s family. The case has intensified calls for addressing road rage and gun violence in the region.
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