Sheriff says gun violence erupts at unsupervised party with 200 teenagers

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) -The sheriff called it chaos - multiple shots fired and at least seven injured at an unsupervised teen party that erupted into violence early on Memorial Day.

Sheriff Tony Mancuso says it happened at a business off Highway 90 east where an estimated 200 unsupervised teenagers were at a graduation party.

Sometime after midnight, law enforcement received multiple calls of shots fired.

“Evidently a party was going on and gunfire erupted. We know that we have picked up shell casings from various weapons, various types of weapons,” said Mancuso.

In all, he says there were seven people hurt but no life-threatening injuries. Mancuso says some were grazed by a bullet while others were hurt in the panic.

“We’re lucky that we don’t have several dead bodies to be honest with you. This could have been much more tragic than it is already,” he said.

Mancuso says 17-year-old Devin Levier was responsible for the shooing and, will be booked on a variety of charges once he’s released from the hospital.

Twenty three-year-old Mary Brignac, who deputies say brought Levier to the hospital, is booked for possession of a stolen semi-automatic pistol.

Mancuso asks for the public’s help identifying others in surveillance video and to find out who was responsible for the party.

“For them to be engaged in such violent activity already at such a young age is really disturbing to me. We’ve had such a quiet few months and suddenly this. again, for that age group to be unsupervised, supposedly it was a graduation party. You would think that there would be some adult supervision, somebody monitoring what was going on.”

Mancuso says those involved will be better off if they come forward.

The sheriff says he’s not identifying which high school many of teens attended, as some may have been from other area schools.

Here are more details from the sheriff’s news release.

Deputies located several victims at the scene with injuries. Deputies then learned several victims had already been taken to the hospital with injuries.

During further investigation and after speaking with numerous witnesses detectives learned Devin L. Levier, 17, 1236 S. Railroad Avenue, Lake Charles, one of the individuals who had already been taken to the hospital, was responsible for the shooting. When deputies arrived at the hospital they made contact with Mary M. Brignac, 23, 2004 5th Street, Lake Charles, and learned she had brought Levier to the hospital. Upon searching the car Brignac was in possession of, deputies located a semi-automatic pistol, which had been previously reported stolen through the Lake Charles Police Department. Brignac was arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center.

After further investigation detectives reviewed video surveillance from the business and observed Levier along with two unknown males in possession of firearms. Detectives also located numerous spent casings of various calibers at the scene of the shooting.

Brignac is charged with possession of a stolen firearm; Judge Sharon Wilson set her bond at $7,000. Upon Levier’s release from the hospital he will be arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with illegal use of a weapon; illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile; aggravated 2nd degree battery; and aggravated assault with a firearm. Judge Sharon Wilson set his bond at $70,000.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes detectives are asking the public for assistance in identifying the two other men seen in the video surveillance. Anyone with information is asked to call CPSO at 491-3605.

Two 15 year old females suffered from non-life threatening injuries from a gunshot wound; one to the leg and one to the buttocks. Three females, ages 15, 16 and 17, were grazed by bullets. A 15 year old female and 18 year old male suffered minor injuries during the panic that ensued after the shooting began. Levier suffered major, but non-life threatening injuries resulting from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.

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