Jeremy David Mardis, 6, a first-grader at Lafargue Elementary in Effie became the youngest victim of police violence in 2015 when his father, Chris Few, attempted to flee from police. The police allege that marshals opened fire when Few began attempting to ram a police cruiser with his vehicle Tuesday evening.
The child, who was reportedly sitting in the front passenger seat, was shot multiple times in the head and torso and pronounced dead at the scene.
Few remains hospitalized in critical, but stable, condition.
Very little details have emerged regarding the incident, other than that a preliminary investigation by the State Police found that city marshals were pursuing a man and "discharged their duty weapons, at a vehicle, at the conclusion of a pursuit.”
It remains unknown how the chase began, why, how it escalated, or if the shooting was captured on the city marshals dashcams.
Avoyelles Parish Coroner L.J. Mayeaux said on Wednesday that it appears all shots entered the vehicle through the driver’s side. He also stated that while the investigation is ongoing, their "working theory" is that all shots were fired by Marksville city marshals.
The names of the marshals involved have not yet been released.
The incident is now under investigation by the Louisiana State Police.
“The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations, Alexandria Field Office, responded to the scene at the request of the Marksville Police Department to investigate the incident/shooting,” Moreau said at a news conference on Wednesday.
