ST. LANDRY PARISH — The family of Fredrick Stevens Jr., the 18-year-old shot and killed in Eunice, is speaking out in hopes of bringing an end to the violence and finding justice for their son.
The Stevens family is pleading for the person or people who is responsible to come forward.
Tiffany Bellard and Fredrick Stevens Sr., the parents of Fredrick, say their lives have been forever changed after losing their son to gun violence on Fuselier Street.
“I remember looking at his location, you know, it was a mother's instinct, and I felt something was wrong,” recalls Tiffany Bellard. “Then my sister called and asked me where Fred was and I said he was with his friends, but then I got another call saying my baby had been shot.”
The family says since the shooting, they feel hurt and betrayed by a community they have always supported.
“So many people know what happened because he was with people he considered friends, but when he was shot, they took off running,” says his father, Fredrick Stevens Sr. “All I ask is that they come forward and do what is right.”
“He was passionate, he was funny, he had a big heart—and the community loved him,” Tiffany adds. Fredrick, known as “Little Fred,” was a son, brother, cousin, nephew, uncle, grandson, and above all, a friend who left people smiling wherever he went.
“Anybody can tell you he always had a smile on his face… and he was respectful,” shares his sister, Lehya Bellard.
Eunice Police say Fredrick was found with a gunshot wound on Fuselier street. Police said they were notified around 10:02 p.m. Aug. 31 that about six people in hoodies, armed with firearms, were walking on Perrotti Street toward Fuselier Street. Moments later, a second call reported gunfire in the area. It’s a scene his mother will never forget. “I went past the yellow tape. A mother's instinct—and I saw my baby lying on the ground,” Tiffany recalls. “You took his life. He was just starting.”
The family’s grief runs deep. “We held big events—packed the parks, gave out school supplies, hosted stop-the-violence basketball tournaments. We even gave a thousand dollars cash back to the community. And now… the same community we poured into—nobody will come forward and say what happened to our son,” says Fredrick Stevens Sr.
"We just want you all to come forward so this can stop," his mother said through tears.
Even in their pain, the Stevens family says they choose grace. “We forgive y’all,” Tiffany offers to those responsible.
KATC has reached out to the Eunice Police Department for an update on the shooting; as of news time, we have not heard back.
