VPHS sent into lockdown

Three weeks into the school year, an incident involving a firearm led to a lockdown of Ville Platte High School.
Chief of Police Neil Lartigue of the Ville Platte Police Department released a statement on Tuesday of this week about the incident.
“On August 30, at approximately 11:00 a.m., Ville Platte Police Department officers and detectives responded to a report of a black male juvenile carrying a gun near Ville Platte High School,” said the chief in the statement. “Ville Platte High School officials placed the school on lockdown and contacted the Ville Platte Police Department immediately. Officers and detectives arrived in the area of High School Drive and Cotton Street and began their investigation. Information obtained led them to a residence on High School Drive. Upon arrival, the juvenile would not open the door, and his parents were contacted to return to the residence to gain entry. Once a parent arrived, entry was made, and a 14-year-old black male was taken into custody. Inside the residence, a 9-millimeter gun was located and was found to have been reported stolen from the Mamou area. The juvenile was charged with one count of illegal possession of a stolen firearm, one count of illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile, and one count of possession of a firearm in a school zone.
Chief Lartigue continued in his statement by sharing “that someone reporting what they saw provided officers and detectives with information that assisted them with removing a dangerous weapon from the streets of our city. Had this information not been reported in a timely manner, the outcome could have been much different. It is important for the community that suspicious activity gets reported quickly.”
To report suspicious or illegal activity please call the Ville Platte Police Department at 363-1313. Your call will remain anonymous.