A Louisiana preschooler was saved after a stray bullet from a nearby shooting struck his lunch plate while in his hands, according to KXAN.
The 4-year-old was taken to the hospital with scratches on his eyes from the shattered plate as a result of the shooting, KXAN reported.
A Head Start student was almost struck by a stray bullet in a shooting incident in the 600 block of Theater Street in St. Martinville, according to a Facebook post. https://t.co/YQHmhMQKDe
— KLFY NEWS 10 (@KLFY) February 10, 2021
Police issued an arrest warrant for a suspect, according to KLFY.
“It’s ridiculous for the young folks to be coming here and shooting as if they’re playing a game. This is not a game,” Perry Marie, a nearby resident, reportedly said.
The preschool, St. Martinville Head Start Center, was placed on lockdown while police searched for the suspected shooters. (RELATED: Man Arrested After Allegedly Shooting 5 Children, 1 Adult To Death In Oklahoma)
While on lockdown, police searched for potential witnesses to help identify a suspect, the St. Martinville Police Department said in a statement.
“Just like when that bullet hit the school, that little boy or little girl could have gotten hit with that bullet. Thank god it hit the plate,” Marie said according to KXAN.
The stray bullets allegedly came from shooters in 2 separate cars shooting at each other down the road from the school.
The suspect, Davonte “Blackie” Gardner, is wanted for several charges, including 7 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and possessing a firearm in a firearm-free zone, KLFY reported.