Five dead in USA, gunman on the run
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jan 27, 2019
A 21-year-old man went on a shooting spree in multiple parishes in Louisiana on Saturday morning, leaving five dead, including his parents.
As of this writing, the suspect still remains at large - and he's said to be "armed and risky".
Livingston sheriff Jason Ard confirmed on Facebook that three deaths happened in his parish on Saturday.
Around 9 a.m. Saturday, Theriot killed his parents, Elizabeth Theriot, 50, and Keith Theriot, 50, in Gonzales, LA.
The suspect has been charged with two counts of first degree murder, illegal use of weapons and home invasion, Webre said. Those victims, according to a Facebook post from the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, were Billy Ernest, 44, Summer Ernest, 21, and Tanner Ernest, 18.
Ascension sheriff's spokeswoman Allison Hudson says authorities believe the shootings in the two parishes are connected, and investigators from both jurisdictions are working together.
At least one of the Livingston victims was a friend of Theriot's, the sheriff's office said.
Police have a warrant for Dakota's arrest and believe he is driving a 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup truck, which is gray on top and silver on the bottom, towards Mississippi.
Authorities were searching for Theriot on Saturday and said they believe he is "armed and unsafe". In 2017, Theriot was asked to exit his vehicle during a traffic stop but instead drove off, throwing suspected marijuana out of the vehicle. After sharing information, authorities now believe both shootings are connected.
Webre said Dakota Theriot had some run-ins with law enforcement in other parishes that he described as misdemeanor-type incidents that did not include violence: "Certainly nothing of the magnitude that we've seen today".
Police are still working to determine a motive for the two shootings, CNN reported.
