VILLE PLATTE, La. — A Ville Platte father is searching for answers one year after his son was shot and killed just weeks after celebrating his 29th birthday.
Andrew Nelson says his son, Andrew Thomas, was gunned down in the early morning hours of March 7th, 2024, at the intersection of Chataignier and Jackson Street.
“I miss my son especially on holidays and when he would call me in the morning and say, ‘Hey daddy, I love you,’” Nelson said.
According to Nelson, the March shooting was not the first time Thomas had been shot at.
He says his son survived a shooting nearly a year before his death—shortly after being released from prison—and was shot again just two months before he was killed.
“He was with his brother, and they were riding on Lincoln Road. And when they got by the fire station, someone got out of the bush and started shooting at them—and they shot up the car,” Nelson recalled.
A detective with the Ville Platte Police Department confirmed Thomas was involved in two shootings: the one that took his life in March 2024 and a separate incident in January 2024, when Thomas was shot in the leg.
“I’m not saying he was perfect,” Nelson added. “But getting shot down like that is not right.”
Nelson is pleading with the public to come forward with any information that could help solve the case.
“If anyone’s seen anything in this area, or if they came across anything they know, call the police department and help them solve this case,” he said.
“I don’t want this case to be another one that just sits cold. Me and his family—we need closure. Especially for his little girl. I don’t want her growing up not knowing who killed her father.”
While Nelson says he has been in touch with investigators, he feels there has been little progress. Still, he believes the community holds the key to justice.
“They can’t do it all by themselves,” he said. “We need the police department and the public to help—and they can’t do it without information from the public.”
Police say the investigation into Andrew Thomas’s death remains open.
If you have any information that could help investigators, you're urged to contact the Ville Platte Police Department or your local Crime Stoppers office.
