A six-year-old was fatally shot around 8:00 pm last night in Raceland. Police say the 6-year-old and his brother – another 6-year-old were playing with a loaded gun. Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Captain Brennan Matherne says at one point the gun discharged, striking six-year-old D.J. Michel Junior….
“When deputies got there, the child was unresponsive and they did start CPR at the scene. EMT’s eventually transported the child to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead,” says Matherne.
In 2020, firearms were the number one cause of death for children ages 1-19 in the United States. Matherne says children should never be left unsupervised in a home with a gun.
“Every gun should always be treated like its loaded and guns should always be picked up and stored in a safe location – preferably someplace locked away where children can never get to them,” says Matherne.
Matherne believes guns should be kept in a safe place.
“Anytime we have a tragedy like this, we try to learn from it as a community and especially as parents. I think the takeaway here is that gun safety has to be paramount,” says Matherne.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services also responded to the scene. Michel was a first grader at Lockport Lower Elementary School. The school system is providing counseling services.
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