On Sunday, March 15, 2015, at 12:02 am, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to East 13th Street in Reserve for the report of gunshots heard. Responding deputies spoke with the driver of a party bus who told deputies that his bus was struck by gunfire. Only the driver was in the bus at the time of the gunfire, and no one was injured.
The driver told deputies that he was hired to drive a group of people from Reserve to New Orleans and back while they partied on the bus. When in New Orleans, the driver smelled the strong odor of marijuana and warned the passengers that if he smelled it again that he would end the bus ride early and return to Reserve. After smelling marijuana a second time, he returned to the 200 block of East 13th Street ending the trip. All the passengers complied and exited the bus; however, one passenger requested a refund because the bus trip ended early. The driver denied the request.
As the bus was leaving, the driver heard several gunshots and could hear that his bus was being hit by gunfire. He did not see who was shooting at the bus.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. Citizens with information about this incident that call Crimestoppers do not have to testify in court and may qualify for a cash reward. Citizens can also submit tips on the Sheriff’s Office website at https://proto.stjohnsheriff.org/crime-arrests/crime-tips/.”>https://proto.stjohnsheriff.org/crime-arrests/crime-tips/.