On Sunday morning, Kenner police responded to a call about shots fired in a residential area. Upon arrival, they found two men parked in a car, one with an arm injury and the other with a stomach injury. The two men were on their way to church when they were shot at for no apparent reason.
The neighborhood where the shooting occurred appeared rundown, with three prefabricated houses separated by parking lawns. The police identified a house in the area belonging to a family named Lathers and issued a wanted notice for Matthew Lathers, suspected of a burglary in the area a few days prior.
As tensions rose, a SWAT unit was called in to apprehend Lathers. A standoff ensued, with Lathers refusing to surrender despite being heavily outnumbered by law enforcement officers. After exchanging gunfire with SWAT officers for several hours, Lathers eventually appeared at the front door armed with a rifle. Despite continued gunfire from him, a sniper was able to shoot and immobilize Lathers, ending the standoff.
The police reported that five individuals, including Lathers and several officers, were in stable condition after the incident. Further investigation revealed that Lathers may have been involved in additional criminal activities in the state. The tense situation in Kenner attracted the attention of local residents and witnesses, with one person describing the scene as unlike anything they had ever seen before. The successful resolution of the standoff was credited to the quick and effective response of law enforcement agencies involved in the operation.
