HARVEY, La. — Two men who were killed while working at the FMT Shipyard in Harvey Monday were each shot between five and ten times, Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich said.
"We're looking at five to ten shots for each of them," he said.
Sheriff Joe Lopinto said that they believe that Willis Thomas Jr., 31, who had recently been fired from work at the shipyard, targeted members of his former work crew and shot and killed them Monday afternoon.
The victims were identified as Nakie James Brown, 48, of Harvey; and 20-year-old Dustin Parrie Jr., also of Harvey.
"They were all part of the same crew," said Lopinto. "So, he was targeting people on his crew."
Lopinto said that Thomas showed up unannounced at the shipyard and shot the men. He said he is unaware of any confrontation immediately prior to the shooting. The sheriff also said that the suspect's mother picked him up near the shipyard and brought him to his apartment complex, but was unaware that her son was the suspect in a shooting.
Lopinto said deputies tracked down Thomas at the St. Germaine apartment complex on Manhattan Blvd. in Harvey, and when they spotted him, he fled into an apartment, firing shots along the way. Deputies returned fire, killing the man. Some on the scene said that bullets went into some of the apartments, but no one else was reported to have been injured.
“Obviously it’s a sad outcome for some family here but it’s a lot sadder for the two killed on Peters Road,“ said Lopinto.