LC man charged with opening fire on vehicle occupants

Published 1:31 pm Tuesday, February 15, 2022

A Lake Charles man was arrested Monday after Jennings authorities say he shot at another vehicle following an altercation.

Ahmad Keith Thorne, 21, was booked into the Jeff Davis Parish Jail on two counts of attempted first-degree murder after Jennings police say he recently opened fire on a vehicle occupied by two people at the corner of North Cutting Avenue and Shankland Avenue.

Bond was set Tuesday at $400,000.

Email newsletter signup

Police Chief Danny Semmes said police received information that the two vehicles appeared to be shooting at each other while driving down the road.

Officers were able to locate one of the vehicles with two subjects inside on Woods Street and Cutting Avenue. In speaking to the subjects, it appeared they were the victims of the shooting, Semmes said.

Several bullet holes were found in the vehicle, but no weapon was found, he said.

Further investigation identified Thorne as the shooter.

“It appears Ahmad Thorne had gotten into a physical confrontation with the driver of the other vehicle and began following them after they left the scene and started shooting at the vehicle,” Semmes said.

No injuries were reported.

Last week, the Welsh Police Department assisted Jennings police in locating Thorne and his vehicle at an apartment complex in Lake Charles. They were assisted by Calcasieu Parish authorities, who helped take Thorne into custody on Monday after a surveillance of the residence.

“This is a good example of the cooperative effort of agencies working together,” Semmes said. “If it weren’t for agencies working together we may not have accomplished this.”

Calcasieu Parish authorities received a handgun during the arrest. The gun is being tested to determine if it matches the weapon used in the shooting, Semmes said.