Shortly after 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of shots having been fired at a motel located on Louisiana Highway 21, south of Bogalusa.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered that 32 shots had been fired at the occupants of a second floor room. The shooters had fled by the time officers arrived.

One of the suspected shooters was wounded and is being treated at an undisclosed medical facility. Others are being sought.

During the course of the investigation, sheriff’s deputies recovered eight weapons and narcotics during a search of a Bogalusa residence.

Names, addresses and details of the incident are not being disclosed at this time so as not to hinder the ongoing investigation. Once the investigation is concluded, further details will be released.

Sheriff Randy Seal commented, “It is disturbing that a gun battle of this magnitude occurred in our parish. Our detectives and deputies are working hard to solve all aspects of this case. One positive outcome of the investigation has been the removal of eight dangerous weapons from the streets of Bogalusa.”

Then, around midnight Tuesday evening, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office SWAT team responded to a report of shots having been fired at a residence on Jarrell Town Road, located on the eastern side of the parish. A caller reported that her father had fired a shotgun at his son. The son was not injured.

When officers arrived at the scene, they encountered Steven Jarrell, 60, at his residence. Jarrell was armed with a large knife, which he refused to surrender to officers. A struggle ensued, and Jarrell was arrested and placed in the Washington Parish Jail.

Jarrell is charged with attempted second-degree murder and two counts of resisting an officer with force or violence. Bond was set at $85,000.

“This is the second night in a row that our officers have responded to a shooting in Washington Parish,” Seal said. “Each response places them in possible danger due to the issue of firearms being involved. This was obviously a family issue which went bad and could have resulted in serious injury or death. I congratulate our officers for their prompt response and their quick apprehension of the shooter.”