HAMMOND, La. (WKRC) – A 13-year-old boy allegedly fatally shot his father in his school parking lot following an argument about the student refusing to go to class.
According to a release from the Hammond Police Department, a school resource officer was notified by the Tangipahoa Alternative School that a 13-year-old student was “refusing to exit a vehicle and enter the school” on April 18, 2026.
Local outlet WVUE reported that the school resource officer and a lieutenant with the police department responded to the scene and made contact with the student and his father, who were both in a vehicle. After a short confrontation, the father said he was just going to take the student back home.
“As the vehicle began to leave the area, the [school resource officer] heard what sounded like gunshots and observed the juvenile approaching him with a firearm,” the Hammond Police Department’s release read. A 5-year-old was also in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, WVUE reported.
The 13-year-old was reportedly arrested and his father was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. On April 18, the father succumbed to his injuries.
The child was initially charged with attempted second-degree murder along with other charges, but police said those charges are expected to be upgraded to second-degree murder.
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“This type of violence is senseless and outrageous and sadly underscores why school resources officers are so important,” said Hammond Chief of Police Edwin Bergeron Jr. “We are incredibly grateful that we had a SRO at the school to intervene and prevent further injuries.”