On Sunday, two cars were break checking each other, and the situation escalated until one driver fired a gun at the car in front of him. He mistakenly thought that the other car had shot at him, but the police did not find a weapon in the other vehicle.
According to a Facebook post by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, “As a result of the investigation, it was determined while West believed the occupants of the vehicle in front of him had shot at him first, evidence has confirmed there were no other shots fired in the incident and there was no weapon in the vehicle the victim was traveling in.”
The vehicle that was shot at contained three people, the driver, his pregnant girlfriend, 17-year-old Katelynn Strate, and another friend. Strate was sitting in the passenger seat in front, and when the driver of the other car fired his gun, he shot Strate in the head.
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office shared, “When the driver realized the victim was shot in the head, they called 911 and drove the victim directly to the hospital.” She was 28 weeks pregnant, and her baby was delivered via emergency c-section, while she was in critical condition.
Sadly, Strate did not survive. In an update, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office shared that she became an organ donor, and her baby did survive.
The suspect who shot and killed Strate, 54-year-old Barry West, has been charged with one count of 2nd Degree Murder, three counts of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder remain, one count each of Illegal Use of a Weapon and Obstruction of Justice.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office also addressed rumors that West had been associated with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. They wrote, “To address questions regarding this suspect’s association with TPSO, records dating back as far as our system currently allows (2007) do not show any employees with the last name of West.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for Strate’s funeral costs as well as baby supplies for Strate’s mother who will be caring for her baby.
Watch the video below to learn more about this tragic story.
