A shooting took place early Sunday morning at a club called “The Vibe” in Cotton Valley that left a total of five victims, two of whom are now deceased. The shooting also led to a car wreck on U.S. Highway 371 after one of the deceased victims and her sister tried to flee the scene towards a medical center. Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton called it, “the bloodiest Thanksgiving weekend since I’ve taken office.”
A suspected gunman in the shooting, Mikel Tyrone Strickland, 22, was taken to Ochsner LSU Hospital and is currently there with a guard posted at his room with plans to be transported to Caddo Parish CDC according to Sexton.
“We got a call early Sunday morning, around 1:15 a.m., that there had been a shooting at ‘The Vibe,’ which is a club in Cotton Valley. Our officers responded along with the Cotton Valley Police Department. When we got there it was a very chaotic scene — probably about 100 people,” said Sexton.
Five people in total suffered gunshot wounds. Two of those victims were killed. They were LaJasmine Monique Jackson, 19 of Springhill and Vantrez Johnson, 24, of Cotton Valley.
The crime scene was not only contained to “The Vibe” itself. Some of the victims got into a car wreck on U.S. Highway 371 after trying to flee the scene in a vehicle.
“One of them had been placed into a private vehicle, or she was in a private vehicle when she got shot, and her sister got in the vehicle with her, and she was shot also. They exited the scene and went towards Springhill to the medical center but wrecked out north of Cotton Valley,” Sexton said.
“We had a wreck scene on 371, we had a deceased party at the Springhill Medical Center, then we started putting all the pieces together. Come to find out who one of the shooters were. We’ve got (Strickland) arrested at this time. He’s at LSU.”
Sexton stated that he is currently arrested on one count of Second Degree Murder and has a guard on him at Ochsner-LSU Shreveport. Once released it is planned to transport him to CDC in Caddo Parish.
“It’s still an ongoing investigation. We’re anticipating more arrests in it and we’re anticipating more arrests for some violations on possibly the club owner not being in compliance with the law there,” said Sexton.
“We just passed an ordinance on alcohol sale here in the parish and on premisses drinking. I’m going to hold the feet to the fire. If you’re going to operate an establishment, you’re going to go by the rules and regulations.”