Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Woman shot dead during fight between Hurricane Laura evacuees

Altercation involved two different groups from Port Arthur and Beaumont, investigators say

Louise Hall
Friday 28 August 2020 14:57 EDT
Comments
Hurricane Laura pounds Lake Charles area in Louisiana with extreme winds

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A woman has reportedly been killed during a gunfight between two groups of Hurricane Laura evacuees in Texas.

Police responded to reports of a fight involving around 60 people at around 12.30am on Thursday, The Austin American-Statesman reported.

Officers said an argument had broken out between two groups of Hurricane Laura evacuees and a fight ensued.

One person fired a gun after members of both groups pulled weapons, hitting a woman nearby who was not involved in the altercation, according to police.

The fight was reported to have involved one group of evacuees from Port Arthur and another from Beaumont. Reports to the police said the altercation involved around 60 people.

Upon arrival, investigators found the woman, who has not been identified, with a gunshot wound. Police said she was homeless.

She was taken to Dell Seton Medical Center where she later died, The Statesman said.

An autopsy of the woman’s body will be conducted, KPRC-TV reported.

Homicide detectives and crime scene specialists are said to be interviewing witnesses and searching for video of the shooting. No arrests have been made, according to the outlet.

Evacuation orders were put in place in Texas and Louisiana for roughly 500,000 people on Tuesday as the Hurricane Laura hurled towards the area.

In Louisiana, ABC News reported six deaths have been tied to the storm so far.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in