FARMERVILLE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On Sunday, May 21, 2023, a little after midnight, deputies with the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to Betty Street in Farmerville to assist the Farmerville Police Department with a shooting investigation involving multiple victims. When deputies arrived, they discovered that two people had been struck by gunfire and needed medical assistance.
Authorities, along with investigators from the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, learned that 20-year-old Jylon Amir Fields of Marion was involved in a verbal altercation on Betty Street. When the argument escalated, Fields pulled out a rifle and allegedly began firing shots at the victim.
Reports from eyewitnesses on the scene stated that Fields was allegedly chasing after the victim while shooting. After the victim fell to the ground, witnesses stated that Fields allegedly proceeded to shoot the rifle recklessly in multiple directions.
According to authorities, numerous gunshot rounds struck a residence close by where the occupants were lying in bed. Investigators uncovered bullets lodged in the nightstand and box springs of the bedroom, where the occupants were during the incident.
Another bullet went through the bedroom window of the residence, striking and shattering the bathroom mirror.
Witnesses identified a second shooter during the investigation. 19-year-old Braylin Tyrell Thomas of Farmerville allegedly produced a firearm and shot Fields during the incident. Thomas claims he did not shoot anyone but consented to a test, which was positive for gunshot residue particles on his hand. Thomas could not provide an explanation for the positive test.
In area hospitals, two gunshot victims were treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. The person who investigators believe was Fields’ intended target did not receive any gunshot wounds. Fields was arrested on two counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder and Aggravated Criminal Damage to Property. $850,000 was set as his bond by a 3rd District judge.
Thomas was arrested for one count of Attempted Second-Degree Murder. His bond was set by a 3rd District judge at $250,000. This investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests are pending.