‘A parenting issue.’ Four girls charged in fatal Walmart stabbing, Louisiana sheriff says
In a call to action, the sheriff of a Louisiana parish urged parents to “take control” after a 15-year-old died from a stabbing in a fight between teens inside a Walmart store over the weekend.
Four girls, ages 14, 13 and 12, are now charged in the incident, according to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s really heartbreaking when we have to come in and pick up the pieces, because so many families were damaged after this,” Sheriff Tony Mancuso said at a Sunday news conference. “It’s just a cycle that we have to stop, and we’re just fed up with it.”
Deputies responded Saturday to reports of a stabbing at a Walmart shopping center in Lake Charles, about 75 miles west of Lafayette, according to a news release. A fight had broken out between a group of girls inside the store, during which a 15-year-old was stabbed, officials said.
The suspects allegedly used knives taken from the store, Mancuso told reporters Sunday.
The 15-year-old was taken to a hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Saturday’s incident marked the third homicide in six months involving minors between 11 and 16 years old, according to the sheriff.
“This is not something we can police our way out of,” he said. “I just don’t feel like this is a police matter. This is a parenting issue.”
Four girls were arrested and booked into a juvenile detention center, according to police. One faces a second degree murder charge, while the others are charged with principal to second degree murder.
Mancuso addressed the issue of kids having access to dangerous weapons, but he also pleaded with parents to step up and get their children under control.
“We’ve got to do something to get the juvenile crime under control, and again, we can’t police our way out of it,” Mancuso said, addressing parents directly. “We can arrest them ... but that’s not going to solve the problem. It’s going to take parenting — knowing where your kids are, what they’re involved in, what they’re doing. I’m just pleading and urging for you to do that.”
The sheriff acknowledged that families are going through “difficult times” with the pandemic but said it’s no excuse for bad behavior. Going forward, he said authorities will begin aggressively enforcing the parish-wide curfew, which is in place from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends.
“We’re asking everyone to step up and get involved,” he said. “And let’s take control of our kids. All of us.”
Authorities say the investigation into the stabbing is ongoing.
This story was originally published January 25, 2021 at 11:04 AM with the headline "‘A parenting issue.’ Four girls charged in fatal Walmart stabbing, Louisiana sheriff says."