The City of Alexandria Updates Homicide

The City of Alexandria Informs Citizens about Recent Homicide and Its Initial Conclusions, Investigation

Alexandria, Louisiana—On Saturday, at approximately 9:35 p.m., the Alexandria Police Department (“APD”) responded to shots fired at or around the 3300 block of Willow Glenn Road. The incident, as will be communicated by this release, involved the risk of continued active shooting or mass casualty. The shooting was spontaneous in nature, during a funeral repast, increasing risks to multiple unaware and unsuspecting targets. 

The deadly force encounter and extreme violence erupting Saturday, in Alexandria, ended after a standoff in Pineville. The suspect involved in the Alexandria shooting Saturday night fled to Pineville (what we will call a “dynamic crime scene”). There, the standoff required securing citizens after the suspect was isolated/contained by law enforcement. The standoff occurred for hours, after exhaustive attempts to conserve life. Multiple agencies were involved and are thanked for their bravery, resources and commitment. APD acknowledges the critical efforts by Pineville PD, RPSO, and LSP.

After initial investigation, APD can report four persons were shot in Alexandria, and one person, the suspect, in Pineville. In Alexandria, one person, Lakeisha Hayward (female, 37, San Antonio, Texas), was killed. Three other individuals are being treated for serious injuries. The suspect, Augusta Moore (male, 59, Pineville), was killed in Pineville during the standoff with APD and other agencies.

Initial After-Incident Information:

1. APD responded immediately to calls for help in Alexandria.  APD learned the suspect, Augusta Moore, fled to his residence on East Shamrock, in Pineville, where he barricaded himself and hunkered down to engage law enforcement.
2. The suspect is deceased after being shot during gunshot exchanges with law enforcement.
3. Based upon what witnesses confirm; what was learned dynamically through investigative means; and what was discovered during negotiations by APD with the suspect, APD has determined Augusta Moore shot the four individuals in Alexandria. Further, APD believes the suspect acted alone in a spontaneous homicidal event. However, this remains under investigation.
4. We now know the suspect was convicted of killing his wife in another state where he received a “life sentence,” being released after 28 years. Moore used an illegally possessed weapon to commit mass harm in Alexandria, without warning.
5. We now know what started in Alexandria Saturday night ended Sunday, just before noon, in Pineville.
6. We can confirm after all attempts to safely have the suspect peacefully surrender, including hours of negotiation, the suspect chose to engage in a firefight with officers in a manner ending the suspect’s life.
7. We now believe the suspect in the homicide and the serious injuries to three other persons stemmed from an argument between or among parties who knew each other. As of now, it appears this spontaneous tragedy resulted from the suspect’s attendance of a funeral, in which he served as a pallbearer, confirming APD’s belief the parties were acquainted. The suspect tragically ended the life of one person and destroyed the lives of countless others. Our prayers and thoughts are with those families. While they were grieving and attending to each other during mourning at a funeral, the families were again aggrieved when attacked by Moore.
8. APD transferred the officer-involved shooting investigation to LSP based on APD’s use of deadly force.
9. The determinations made in real time revealed the incident was dynamic; the public risk was mitigated and the suspect contained; and therefore the best approach was limiting investigative leads and disclosure of special tactics until an after-incident report. This release is the first such report.

Communication Internal Assessment: The City must continue to weigh when, in similar events, an earlier release of information may be permitted when active shooting or the risk of mass casualty has subsided. In weighing this, however, APD shall consider an early release can change the dynamics by giving information to the suspect(s). The City will consider a quicker disclosure of the linkage of two related events (such as when, as here, two jurisdictions were involved, i.e. from Alexandria to Pineville). Such a disclosure must weigh when public risk truly is determined to have ended. Again, the City must balance investigative information that could be used in dynamic events against the risk suspects will gain from it more than the public benefits from the release.

Glossary:

By “spontaneous” we mean without warning or the chance to mitigate by law enforcement or citizens; by “active” we mean at the time shots were fired, shots were multiple in nature and likely could/would continue regarding citizens or law enforcement; and by “dynamic” we mean the crime scene and activities surrounding it were actively moving from one place to another, with continued risk of active weapons capable of deadly force.

By “risk of continued active shooting or mass casualty” we mean those circumstances in which law enforcement has information multiple injuries or deaths are due to, or likely could result from, the use of a deadly weapon. Law enforcement may further consider when such a weapon has been or could be used to harm multiple people, especially when those harms can be inflicted quickly based on firepower or multiple suspects. 

During information releases when a crime scene or scenes are “dynamic,” we consider how to do the least harm. Our first test is to balance information the public needs to protect itself from a continuing threat against that same information being used to increase threats to citizens or law enforcement. Today, modern social media can provide suspects with real-time information that could be used against law enforcement. Our releases will follow an assessment of those risks made in the context of what we know at the time: the likelihood and gravity of any danger to the public weighed against its mitigation and doing no harm to the public.

Media Policy:

In general, the City of Alexandria’s “do no harm” rule means the City will consider these two concerns, first:

• What information is crucial to convey in initial messages in order to prompt appropriate public responses after a crisis situation?
• What are the messages to be delivered prior to, during, and after an incident?

Contact (City of Alexandria): Michael Caffery—318.449.5000