Following a deadly shooting in Opelousas on Tuesday, social media rumors have been predicting a "gang war" in the St. Landry Parish city.
On Thursday, Police Chief Graig "Twin" LeBlanc took to social media to report what his officers had found about that claim.
"At this time, law enforcement has not received any credible information indicating any organized or coordinated retaliatory violence targeting the City of Opelousas or the public at large," LeBlanc wrote. "While some individuals connected to Tuesday's incident do have ties to Opelousas, investigators believe the incident stemmed from a specific conlict between indivduals, rather than any broader threat to the community."
The chief also wrote that there's no evidence connecting the recent shootings in the city, and each incident continues to be "investigated individually based on the evidence and information developed in each case."
The Tuesday incident he's referring to was a fatal shooting that happened in the 400 block of West Bellevue Street. Two men were shot; one died and one is listed in critical condition. That investigation is ongoing, the chief said.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting is urged to contact the Opelousas Police Department at 337-948-2500 or St. Landry Parish Crime Stoppers at 337-948-TIPS. All calls can remain anonymous.
"Unfortunately, unverified social media posts and forwarded messages have caused unnecessary panic and confusion throughout the community," the chief wrote. "We encourage the public to rely on official information released directly by law enforcement agencies rather than rumors, screenshots or speculation circulating online. If you have credible information regarding criminal activity, please contact the Opelousas Police Department at 337-948-2500."
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