A father in Louisiana lost his life in a shootout after confronting a teenager who climbed through his window to visit his teenage daughter.
Dezmon Hamilton, 34, was killed on Sunday morning after suffering multiple gunshot wounds, WBRZ reports. The suspect, identified as 17-year-old Nicholas Mcquirter, was also wounded in the gunfire and was taken to a hospital.
The incident was initially listed as a home invasion but changed after authorities realized the teen was there to visit Hamilton’s 14-year-old daughter. Officers believe Mcquirter used a ladder to climb up to the family’s second-story window.
After Hamilton realized Mcquirter was inside his home, he confronted the teen and a shootout ensued. The two both shot at each other during the encounter, police said.
It’s still unclear who fired the first shot. But the teen is now facing charges of second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, and illegal possession of a stolen firearm. McDavid said the shooting comes amid an increase in juvenile crime in the area.
“There are gangs here, there are gangs around Zachary, on the outskirts,” McDavid said. “They’re coming here we know that. We track them, we arrest them. But they’re using a lot of these juveniles to do their dirty work, and that’s what’s happening and they’re stealing guns and doing drugs.”
McDavid is calling on the parents to intervene and get their kids to curb all of the street violence.
