(BrightPress.org) – An armed robbery and attempted murder suspect was shot and killed by a sniper with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Kenner, Louisiana on Sunday, April 28th.
The suspect, 31-year-old Matthew Lathers, was located inside a residence on Farm Avenue after he opened fire on a vehicle that stopped in front of the house. Two men inside the vehicle were injured. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto speculates that Lathers knew he was wanted for the robbery and attempted murder charges and shot into the vehicle of the two victims because he mistakenly identified them as police officers. It is assumed the victims were en route to church when the shooting occurred. They had no connection to Lathers and did not attempt to approach the residence.
Police were called to the shooting and once on scene, they discovered the residence belonged to a member of the Lathers family. A Kenner Police SWAT team surrounded the residence for a standoff that lasted several hours. There was no contact with the gunman inside the residence. A robot with a camera was deployed into the home but was “immobilized.” When officers cautiously entered the residence to check the robot, Lathers shot three of the officers with a rifle.
JPSO dispatched a SWAT team to assist the Kenner Police Dept. The gunman fired shots at the armored vehicle as it arrived. A negotiator made unsuccessful attempts to communicate with Lathers inside the residence. Lathers moved into view holding his rifle and was taken down by a JPSO sniper. Lathers was declared dead on the scene.
The two victims from the vehicle and the three injured police officers were transported to hospitals for medical care. There were no fatalities.
A family member only identified as “Lather’s uncle” said he knew his nephew was going through something and probably “just snapped.” The family member also said Lathers was in the military and expressed regret that his nephew never talked to his family about his problems.
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