Two men shot in Jennings over $16 debt

A $16 debt led to a double shooting in Jennings, according to Police Chief Danny Semmes. Joseph Bernard Shirah, 27, was booked with attempted first-degree murder. No bond has been set for his release; he will see a judge for arraignment tomorrow. Shirah was arrested following an incident at Marcus Cain Park at about 7 p.m. Tuesday night. An off-duty officer working extra duty was patrolling the park when he found two men fighting, Chief Danny Semmes said. After the officer broke up the fight, one of the men said he had been shot. The officer found that he had been shot in the head and the chest, and paramedics were called. The man was transported to a Lafayette hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.Shirah was taken into custody and taken to the Police Department to be questioned, Semmes said. While he was being processed, he allegedly told police he thought he had accidentally shot himself during the scuffle. He was found to have a bullet lodged in his sternum, and was transported to a hospital for treatment. Witnesses allegedly told police that the shooting happened after Shirah’s girlfriend and the man who was shot got into a shouting match over a $16 debt. Shirah got out of his car with his gun to defend his girlfriend, and allegedly shot the other man. But the victim fought back, and pinned Shirah to the ground, which is when detectives believe he was shot with his own gun. During the course of the investigation, both vehicles were impounded and warrants were obtained to search them. During those searches, police allegedly found a large amount of crystal meth, along with a jar of marijuana and a small bag of heroin in the victim’s car, Semmes said. As soon as the victim is released he also will be arrested and booked, Semmes said. Semmes said it would be a safe estimate that the drugs in the victim’s car were worth about $4,000.