Stray bullets causing concern in Baton Rouge as shooting numbers rise

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – It’s not uncommon to hear police scanner traffic of shots fired in Baton Rouge. Sometimes those stray bullets land inside someone’s home without warning.

On April 12, 2022, 3-year-old Devin Page Jr. was shot in the head by a stray bullet sleeping side by side with his 1-year-old sister. The Fairfield home wasn’t the target.

BRProud Investigative Reporter John Rupolo talked to Devin’s grandmother, Cathy Toliver.

“There’s a hole in your heart, and it bleeds, and it never stops bleeding,” said Toliver.

Shootings and stray bullets have continued in Baton Rouge. On Jan. 1, a man showed up at a local hospital saying he had been shot by a stray bullet in the 2300 block of Balls Drive.

Earlier this month, a shooting happened half a mile from Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters at the Fountain Motel on Airline. One man was killed and a stray bullet struck another person during the crossfire.

Baton Rouge sees rising numbers in homicides, violent crime, police data says

“You have a lot of individuals that don’t know a lot about guns that are possessing guns you have juveniles that are possessing guns,” said Baton Rouge police officer of 32 years and head of Capital City Crimestoppers Johnny Dunnam.

This past weekend another stray bullet hit a 51-year-old woman in the back. She was inside her Bradfield Avenue home. She’s in stable condition. The bullet came from a shooting that occurred at the Kangaroo Express gas station on Scotland Avenue, police said.

Residents said they are now scared inside their own homes.

“I think now because of the brazen nature of it, it heightens people’s awareness about it,” said the Chairman of the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation Clay Young.

BRProud asked BRPD for stray bullet statistics and was told it’s something that isn’t tracked.

“Individuals that are out committing crime, shooting you’re going to get stray bullets,” said Dunnam.

If anyone has information about these shootings, contact Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867 or make an anonymous tip online.

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