Sheriff: "Satan has taken over Bogalusa and it’s time to take it back;’ authorities update mass shooting at weekend memorial service

BOGALUSA, La. (WVUE) -The Bogalusa Police Department said Monday that nearly 500 people gathered at a Saturday evening memorial service where shots rang out injuring 13 people.

The organizers of the event did not have a permit.

At a news conference to update the investigation, the Bogalusa Police Chief and Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal addressed the media and urged anyone with information or anyone that may have seen anything to please come forward.

Police have located over 50 shell casings from different caliber guns suggesting multiple shooters.

Sheriff Seal said he was “embarrassed over people behaving in this manner” and “whomever is responsible for this should be ashamed of themselves.”

The sheriff also said that the town of Bogalusa has seen too much crime and too many drugs are being sold.

Seal emphasized that coming forward is not “ratting, but is doing the right thing."

“Satan has taken over Bogalusa and it’s time we take it back,” he said.

Shots rang out around 9 p.m. Saturday in the area of Martin Luther King Drive near East 4th Street.

Upon arrival, officers observed an extremely large crowd of people gathered in the area for what was believed to be a memorial service for Dominique James, recently found murdered.

Bogalusa Police said at the news conference that five officers responded to the scene making it extremely difficult to disperse such a large crowd. The chief said that the Bogalusa Police Dept. is very understaffed and more officers are needed. He said the department consists of 28 officers.

As of Monday, no arrests have been.

No one was killed in Saturday’s shooting.

James’ mother, Renee James, posted a video to her Facebook page of the memorial service hours before the shooting took place.

Officers requested assistance from the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana Fire Marshals office, Louisiana State Police, the Varnado Police Dept., and Northshore EMS.

ATF New Orleans is assisting the Bogalusa PD in the investigation of 13 people wounded in a shooting incident last evening in Bogalusa, LA who were attending a memorial service for a homicide victim. Use ATFTips@atf.gov or ReportIt® app. pic.twitter.com/fftbpSPMGZ
— ATF New Orleans (@ATFNewOrleans) May 17, 2020

Mayor Perrette of Bogalusa also confirmed that no permit was granted for the event.

The Bogalusa Police Department requests that anyone with information please call 985-732-3611 or 985-732-6240 if they have any information that can help in the investigation.