RESERVE, LA – A 16-year-old Louisiana girl, Aariah Henry, fell victim to deadly gun violence on Sunday. The killing appears to be a targeted attack, said authorities in Louisiana who are making efforts to bring the culprits to justice.
The unsettling incident occurred early on Sunday morning. Surveillance footage showed another vehicle pulling up alongside Henry’s car and opening fire. A bullet struck Henry in the hip. Following the drive-by shooting, she was immediately taken to St. James Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The St. John Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the perpetrators. “They don’t deserve to be on the streets of St. John Parish or any street in our state or country,” Sheriff Mike Tregre sternly remarked.
Tregre shared information that on the night of the tragic incident, Henry was in her car with two other underage girls and three adult men after a party. Video surveillance captured the suspects’ vehicle parked obscurely near the party venue and then following Henry’s car to a gas station. It then sped up to reach the victims at the place where the violence was unleashed.
Despite the grim circumstances, the three men present during the incident refused to cooperate with the authorities, Tregre revealed. Later, the suspects’ car was found abandoned at a dead-end street and camouflaged under a tarp. The car had been reported stolen from New Orleans in March.