LAFAYETTE — A 22-year-old man was found dead following a shooting at a Lafayette apartment complex early Wednesday morning. Police were called to the scene around 6:30 a.m.
The Lafayette Police Department identified the victim as Irving Lumpkin III. Officers discovered his body while responding to reports of gunfire at the Elora Apartments on the 3600 block of Kaliste Saloom Road.
“While just canvassing the area to locate where the shooting had actually happened, he located one black male deceased on the ground,” Lafayette Police Department's Sgt. Robin Green said.
Erin Manuel, a resident of the complex, said she heard the gunfire and later saw a heavy police presence outside her home.
“We heard some semi-automatic gunshots. I asked my husband if it was a gun, and he said, ‘yeah it sure was,’ and he was like, ‘the police will be here soon if it was,’ and they were here pretty fast,” Manuel said.
“I walked out of my apartment at like 7:00, and the whole backside by the dumpsters in between buildings five and six were completely roped off. There was like police cars and deputy cars lined all the way down. I meant it was crazy,” she said.
Manuel noted the complex is usually peaceful.
She said, “It’s normally pretty quiet. We’ve been here literally one year, and we’ve never had any disturbances like this or anything that has made us feel unsafe.".
The shooting occurred around the time children were catching the school bus, prompting Manuel to keep her child home for the day.
She said, “Happened like 20 to 25 minutes after the middle school and high school students get on the bus, and then like 30 minutes before the elementary kids get on the bus."
She added, “My second grader stayed home from school because it’s just a scary thing, you know, weren’t sure if the shooter was still inside here or if they were gone."
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