One dead, one injured in overnight shooting in Sulphur

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Gunshots ring out in Sulphur overnight leaving one man dead and another fighting for his life.

Sulphur Police Chief John Wall said a call came in just after midnight about shots fired in the 600 block of West Verdine Street.

But even before officers arrived on the scene, residents in the neighborhood were gathering outside.

“This is hard, very difficult because this is my home and to see something like this happen across the street it is very nerve-wracking,” neighbor James Barbee said.

“We found one male in the front yard with gunshot wounds and another in the house,” Wall said. “One person got transported by ambulance.”

But the man found outside was dead, his body laying in the yard, next to his car.

“Right now we have our detectives going through the residence and the yard looking for any evidence,” Wall said.

With a scene like this, Chief Wall said getting answers may take time.

“This is an active investigation and we’re still trying to piece together all of the details at this moment,” Wall said.

Neighbors meanwhile are hoping for good news on the condition of the homeowner, a man they say they have known for a number of years.

“And he loved his children,” Barbee said.

One of which, Barbee said, was inside the home when his father was shot.

“All he kept saying was his daddy was shot and there was blood everywhere and he said his daddy told him to call 911 and get out of the house,” Barbee said. “He called them right before I did.”

“This is something that’s going to stay with him for the rest of his life and it’s sad because he’s a young kid,” Barbee said.

Barbee tells 7News the child was picked up from the scene by family members.

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