Recently fired man kills 2 ex-coworkers, dies in shootout with Louisiana deputies

HARVEY, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - Two men were shot and killed by a recently fired coworker at a shipyard on Monday, according to authorities.

The shooting happened at FMT Shipyard & Repairs on Peters Road in Harvey around 1 p.m.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto reported two men were reportedly killed. The identities of the men have not been released.

Lopinto said the suspect was described as a former employee who was recently fired. Officials believe he targeted two men who worked in the same labor crew as him.

“From what I understand they were labor-type jobs. I think they were part of a grass-cutting crew, that type of stuff, just labor-type,” Lopinto said from the scene. “But believe me, obviously the motive was to kill his former coworkers.”

Lopinto says the suspect, who remains unidentified, was picked up from the shipyard by his mother, who “didn’t know anything,” and brought to his home at an apartment complex on Manhattan Boulevard.

Lopinto said units converged on the apartment and observed the suspect coming out onto his balcony several times. He says the suspect came down the steps and walked over to a dumpster when he spotted deputies and took off on foot.

The suspect then reportedly produced a firearm and began shooting at deputies. Lopinto says multiple deputies returned fire, fatally striking the man.

“He came out of the apartment, came down the steps of the apartment itself and walked over to a dumpster area. When he saw units in the area, he ended up starting running from them. They began converging. He actually picked up his firearm and started firing shots on our officers. I have numerous officers that returned fire at that point in time, and he is now pronounced dead here,” Lopinto said.

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