A 12-year-old Louisiana girl was shot dead Saturday night in Central, apparently part of some kind of dispute between the suspect and another woman over a man, who was also arrested after the shooting.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office said that 26-year-old Ester Williams has been charged with first degree murder and three counts of attempted first degree murder, while Patrick Johnson, 36, was charged with accessory after the fact to all four charges, WAFB reported.
Deputies said the gunfire took place shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday.
According to The Advocate, a woman drove to Johnson’s house with three children in her car — a teenage boy, a teenage girl, and the 12-year-old girl. The three children knocked on the door, then returned to the car.
Williams came outside and fired one bullet at the car, the arrest documents said — according to WAFB — and that bullet struck the 12-year-old.
Witnesses said Williams dropped the gun after she fired, and Johnson picked it up. The two went back inside the house briefly before exiting and fleeing the scene in a pickup truck.
Deputies took both suspects into custody during a traffic stop.
Williams told deputies that she and the other woman were both dating Johnson, according to the arrest documents. She said they had previous disagreements about him.
The victim’s name has not been released. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System released a statement acknowledging the death of a student and saying counseling will be available beginning Monday.
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[Featured image: Ester Williams, left, and Patrick Johnson/East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office]