Suspect in Kenner cop shooting dead after sniper shoots him

The suspect in a Sunday morning double shooting in Kenner and the later shooting of three of the city's police officers is dead after a Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputy shot him.

According to Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Captain Jason Rivarde, the suspect in the case, Matthew Lathers shot at a Kenner SWAT unit that tried to arrest him earlier in the day. Rivarde says after JPSO backups arrived on scene, Lathers shot at a JPSO armored unit. Rivarde says a sniper shot Lathers after the deputies saw Lathers "(return) to a position from which he could again fire on the vehicle."

Lathers, 31, died at the scene. Rivarde says multiple attempts to speak to Lathers to negotiate with him failed.

The standoff began after Lathers allegedly shot two men around 9:30 a.m. Sunday at a home on Farm Avenue near Airline Drive, leaving one in critical condition and the other with non-life-threatening wounds. According to Rivarde, when Kenner police officers and SWAT unit members arrived, Lathers shot at them, forcing them out of the home. Three Kenner officers were shot during that encounter. All three are in the hospital. Their conditions are reported to be stable, but Rivarde did not say what their exact condition is.

A Kenner officer shot back at Lathers during that encounter. Rivarde says it's not known if Lathers was wounded by the officers' shots.

According to Rivarde, Lathers was wanted in connection with an armed robbery and attempted murder that happened last week in Kenner.

The case remains under investigation. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is assisting with that investigation.

This is a developing story.