A 22-year-old Metairie man is under arrest following a killing spree of four randomly selected victims. Sean Barrette became the suspect in crimes after a forensic analysis was performed on his phone after leaving it at a crime scene. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says the suspect has had a recent history of mental problems.
“He had two physician emegergency commitals. One being in December of 2018 and the other in April of 2019,” said Lopinto.
Authorities have located a Smith and Wesson 40 caliber handgun believed to have been in the crimes spanning a couple of weeks in the suspect’s laundry basket. Lopinto says it’s rare that a murder suspect does not have a previous connection to the victim.
“What make this one strange is because it’s random. Let’s face it, this is not something that’s normal. The vast majority of murders in any place in this country are with known victims and known suspects that have a relationship with each other,” said Lopinto.
Lopinto says investigators are uncertain how the suspect obtained the gun but says there is nothing in the civil record of the court that would have prevented him from making a lawful purchase of the firearm.
“He had no previous criminal history or any convictions that would have prevented that, so any purchase of a firearm would have probably been lawful, because their was nothing flagging it,” said Lopinto.
A black man, two Hispanic men, and a white man across Metairie and New Orleans were killed in the spree but authorities are saying that the motive, while currently unclear, is not likely tied to race, but that is subject to change as the investigation continues. Authorities say the suspect is not being cooperative with the investigation.
