On Saturday evening, a musician was struck by a stray bullet while performing in downtown Houma on Main Street.
Houma Police Chief Travis Theriot said the bullet came from a shooting that occurred in a nearby neighborhood and the musician was not targeted.
“People need to realize whenever they shoot something up in the air, it has to come down, and an innocent person could be hurt," Theriot said.
The bassist in The Josh Garrett Band was playing at Luminate Houma, an event that occurs every second Saturday that supports local artists and musicians.
It happened near the community's Memorial Fountain, Theriot said.
"It was a live outdoor concert for everyone’s entertainment, and it was a good family event that was taking place and their night was cut short because of someone’s stupidity," Theriot said.
Theriot said officers responded to a report of gunshots around 8:30 Saturday evening near Suthon and Third Streets.
“When they arrived, they located several shell casings, but did not locate any victims at the time," Theriot said.
Soon after, Houma police received another call of someone being struck by an object on Main Street.
“It appears, and we’re pretty certain, that one of the projectiles that were fired at Suthon and Third, actually was fired into the air and came down and struck a person. Probably close to half a mile away from that scene and struck them in the head," Theriot said.
According to event organizers, the bassist was taken to Terrebonne General Hospital before being taken to another hospital in New Orleans.
Band members tell Eyewitness News he is doing fine.
Luminate Houma organizers said they're still in shock and disbelief.
In a statement, Luminate Houma said:
"Dear friends and followers,
We want to take a moment to address the incident that occurred during Luminate Houma on Saturday, May 13th. During a break in the performance, the bassist was unfortunately struck by a stray bullet, which at the time was assumed to be a rock. We took immediate action, notifying the Houma Police Department, transporting the bassist to Terrebonne General, and shutting down the rest of the show to ensure the public's safety.
It's possible the stray bullet came from a reported shooting on Suthon and Third Street, but we don't know all the details and will leave that up to HPD’s ongoing investigation. We want to assure everyone that the shots fired did not occur at the event. This incident was completely out of our control. However, we will be working with HPD to determine what steps(if any) we can take for future events to ensure the safety of everyone that attends.
In the meantime, we are focused on supporting the bassist and his family as he recovers from this traumatic experience. Also, we will be raising funds to help cover his medical expenses, and we encourage anyone who can donate to please do so. The link is pinned in the comments.
Luminate Houma was started to unite the community through music and art, and we need that unity now more than ever. We are still in shock and disbelief that this happened. But we are also determined not to let this incident overshadow the positive momentum our downtown area has been moving towards. We remain committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all who attend our events and will continue to work towards that goal.
We stand in solidarity with the Houma Police Department and their efforts to investigate this incident. We urge anyone who may have information to come forward and assist HPD in this ongoing investigation.
Thank you for your understanding and support."
Houma Police said they're not sure what led up to the shooting, but they're urging the community to call them with any information.
Luminate has created a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover the bassist's medical expenses who was injured.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.