Lake Charles Police wrap up Oct. 7 fatal shooting investigation

Published 11:31 am Friday, December 2, 2022

On Oct. 13, at approximately 8:30 a.m., officers with the Lake Charles Police Department (LCPD) were dispatched to a suspicious circumstances call. A 911 caller reported seeing an unclothed male subject walking in a nearby yard and reported also previously seeing the subject with a firearm.

Officers arrived on scene and made contact with the subject. An LCPD Officer discharged their firearm and the subject retreated back into the home and closed the door.

LCPD SWAT Officers were dispatched to the scene and after gaining entry into the home, discovered the body of Christopher L. Ardoin in addition to the bodies of 60-year-old Sandra Reder Ardoin and 62-year-old Lee Edward Ardoin. The victims, who were discovered in the rear area of the residence, suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Through their preliminary investigation and in conjunction with the preliminary investigation of the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office, Investigators suspected the incident leading to the deaths of the victims occurred sometime prior to midnight on the night of Tuesday, Oct..

Using information obtained through witness statements, surveillance and the collection of evidence, Detectives were able to confirm this timeframe.

Through the processing of the crime scene, Detectives and LCPD Evidence Officers recovered two firearms. These firearms were submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory for testing and one of the weapons was confirmed to be the firearm used in the shooting that led to the deaths of the victims.

Louisiana State Police are investigating the shooting by the LCPD officer.