BATON ROUGE — It’s a night Keon Preston says he likely will not forget: the sights and sounds still haunt him, with 160 shots fired and him crawling for his life—literally.
Around 1:30 a.m., a gathering took place outside an after-hours club on Choctaw Drive, just east of Acadian Thruway. A fight broke out in the parking lot between several women. Police say that during the altercation, some men got involved, and then multiple people began shooting.
BRPD said no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, which left six people injured and one person dead. The victim who died at the scene has been identified as 25-year-old Prenesha Wagner.
‘It was war! There was no running and escaping’
Preston was working as a food vendor that night. He told UWK that the evening began peacefully, with everyone enjoying themselves. A minor fight broke out, but he said the on-site security quickly handled it. After that, he sensed something wasn’t right.
“It was war! Not only that, I’m still trying to figure out at what point did we go from talking & laughing to full survivor mode. I’ve never in my life experienced such a close call.”
Preston, who said he grew up in parts of Baton Rouge where crime is common, told UWK that he’s accustomed to hearing gunshots. But this, he said, was different.
“I knew that it was a semi-automatic weapon, like bombs. It was crazy. It was multiple weapons being fired.” He estimated about 120 rounds were fired. Baton Rouge Police told UWK they recovered nearly 160 shell casings from all the shots fired at the scene and in nearby areas.
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“Shots just ring out, and then it just seemed like shots kept ringing out. It’s wasn’t a shooting like in that (immediate) area. It’s like it was just shooting within the entire strip.”
Preston said it felt like the gunfire was coming from every direction, and all he could do was get down.
“It just seemed like guns was just going off from Choctaw and Acadian Thruway, all the way down to 38th. It just seemed like it was just at multiple locations, like there’s no such thing as running and escaping. Just get your a** on the ground and just pray you survive it, because that’s all me and my team did. My tables were flipped with food all over.”
He said he eventually crawled back to his trailer and took cover underneath it.
“I’ve never imagined being a part of a stampede! To see hundreds running, crawling on the ground, falling, scared, crying… I was so scared to open my eyes after it was over. I just knew lifeless bodies would be everywhere.”
When he finally stood up, Preston said he saw one woman dead. He recalled hearing officers shouting that one person was shot to his right and another to his left.
“It was very traumatic for me. I can’t stop hearing the yelling and screaming. My ears are still ringing.”
Preston believes that multiple shooters were involved, and he thinks that anyone who pulled the trigger should turn themselves in.
BRPD Chief T.J. Morse updated UWK on Monday, saying at least three people have been questioned, but no arrests have been made as investigators are still trying to determine who was acting in self-defense and who was shooting. The chief said they are unsure of the deceased woman’s involvement in the incident, but confirmed she was not shooting.
During the barrage of gunfire, one officer happened to be near the scene. He stopped and fired two shots toward a gunman but did not hit him. Chief Morse credited that officer with preventing further injuries.
“I’m very thankful for the brave actions by our brave officer, who was outnumbered and outgunned with that many shell casings. He was out there with a handgun and still able to intervene and likely stop anymore injuries from occurring,” said Chief Morse.
He echoed Preston’s plea for the public’s help.
“We need the community’s help, cell phone footage, pictures or just any information. Please call us or call Crime Stoppers,” the chief added.
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