Louisiana – A 58-year-old man from Louisiana has been arrested for allegedly shooting a 14-year-old girl, who happened to be his neighbor.
The girl was injured in the back of her head on Sunday when David V. Doyle opened fire on a group of individuals fleeing his property, later discovered to be children engaged in a game of hide-and-seek.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a shooting report in a small neighborhood during the early morning hours. Upon arrival, they found the injured girl and called in detectives who learned that several children had been playing on a neighboring property.
Doyle confessed to law enforcement that he noticed shadows around his home, which prompted him to fetch his firearm. He then began shooting at the figures he saw leaving his property.
The injured girl was transported to a distant hospital for treatment of her non-life-threatening injuries. As per reports, family members stated the girl was “okay and recovering”.
Notably, the incident occurred in a quiet neighborhood at the end of a dead-end road, with only three households including Doyle, the victim’s family, and a relative to the victim’s family.
One local resident, who is acquainted with the victim’s family, expressed that this tragic incident was a result of Doyle’s unnecessary resort to firearms. “Things like this need to stop,” they lamented, adding that the use of firearms should only be justified when one’s life is endangered, which was clearly not the case here.
Doyle was detained on Sunday at 6:45 a.m., according to online records, on charges of aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and illegal discharge of a firearm. As of Tuesday midday, he remained in custody.
When reached for a comment on Tuesday, the girl’s mother mentioned that she needed to consult her lawyer prior to making a statement.