A 14-year-old Louisiana girl is recovering after being shot in the back of the head while playing hide-and-seek, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office told local news outlet KPLC.
David V. Doyle, 58, was arrested after “unknowingly” shooting a 14-year-old girl who was playing hide-and-seek on his property May 7, KPLC reported. Law enforcement officials were called out to a home in Starks early Sunday morning, where they found the 14-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, sheriff’s office spokesperson Kayla Vincent told the outlet.
Detectives say the man told them that he opened fire when he saw people running away from his property early in the morning. https://t.co/C2bB2QI3Gd
— KPLC (@KPLC7News) May 8, 2023
The victim was one of several children who had been playing around the property, KPLC reported. Doyle allegedly told investigators he had seen shadows moving around his home and retrieved his firearm. As he went back outside, he saw people running away and shot after them, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Homeowner Allegedly Shoots 16-Year-Old Who Approached Wrong Home, Sparking Mass Protests)
Police brought Doyle into custody at the Calcasieu Correctional Center and booked him on charges of aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and the illegal discharge of a firearm, KPLC reported. The 14-year-old victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.
Louisiana has a ‘stand your ground law,’ but the legislation requires an individual to be acting in self-defense to prevent a violent crime or unlawful entry into a home, business or vehicle, according to the outlet.