Shootout in Abbeville on Saturday

On Friday, four people, two men and two women, suffered bullet wounds after a shootout occurred in front of ZaZa’s Hooka Lounge, which is located on the Hwy. 14 Bypass in Abbeville.
The shooting happened early at around 9:46 p.m.
According to Police Chief Mike Hardy, two of those hit with a bullet had to be taken to a Lafayette hospital, while the other two were brought to Abbeville General. All four are expected to recover.
One of the women hit with a bullet was sitting in her car waiting to pick up a family member in the lounge.
When the city police and members of the Vermilion Parish Task Force arrived on the scene, it was chaos. There were at least 18 law enforcement agents on the scene.
People were yelling, screaming, and running for cover outside of the lounge. Others were helping those who had been shot. Vehicles were speeding off in all different directions.
Because of the high volume of gunshots spent at the location, all area hospitals were also alerted because they may receive injured victims from the shooting.
The Abbeville Police Department did not release the names of those shot. As of Monday morning, no arrests have been made. However, the police are studying videos and trying to identify the shooters.
Law enforcement remained on the scene for four or five hours, interviewing witnesses and collecting bullet casings. The officers collected bullet casings from at least four caliber pistols, and at least two rifles (including AK-47) were collected that night.
“There could have been a war with the amount of casings found,” said Hardy said. “There were a lot of shots fired.”

Timeline of the night:

Monday morning, Abbeville Police Chief Mike Hardy gave a timeline before the shooting.
• At around 5 p.m., a block party began at the corner of Dutel Street and Maude Avenue in Abbeville. The police were aware that the block party was going to happen, so officers were on the scene.
Around 300 people gathered, and vehicles were parked along Maude and Dutel, creating traffic problems.
Chief Hardy said the police arrived at the party and asked the crowd to disperse because of a lack of parking. However, the party ended peacefully, Hardy said.
However, partygoers moved the party to McKinley Park, near Martin Luther King Drive. They peacefully gathered under the pavilion, Chief Hardy added. They parked along the streets and allowed traffic to flow.
The city has park closing hours, and the crowd honored the hours and left McKinley Park by 8:30 p.m.
Chief Hardy said after hearing the party broke up, he went home, thinking the night went well.
An hour and 15 minutes later, phone calls came into the dispatcher that shots were fired and people struck in front of the Hooka Lounge (located between John Craig Texaco and Family Dollar on the bypass).
According to Hardy, some people at McKinley Scott Park left and went to the Hooka Lounge. The lounge was packed, and many stood outside in the parking lot.
Allegedly, another group, who were not at the party, watched the party in the Family Dollar parking lot. They began firing into the crowd standing in front of the lounge. When they opened fire, those in front of the lounge had their weapons. They returned fire.
Gunshots went back and forth for a few seconds.
Those in the Family Dollar Parking lot ran behind the store, crossed a fence and ran onto Alvin Street.
The Abbeville Police Department is continuing the investigation into this shooting and is asking anyone with information to contact them.
Chief Hardy urges the public to provide any further information regarding this crime or any other crime by calling the Abbeville Police Department at (337) 893-2511. You may also contact our “TIPS” line at (337) 892-6777. All Callers may remain anonymous. Citizens may also send anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers of Vermilion by calling (337) 740-TIPS or the P3 app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.