A baby girl was delivered via emergency C-section in Louisiana after her teenage mother was fatally shot during what appeared to be a road rage incident.
The infant arrived on Sunday at a Hammond hospital, located about 30 minutes from New Orleans, shortly after 17-year-old Katelynn Strate was shot in the head by the driver of a silver pickup truck.
Straight was placed on life support following the assault but managed to save her unborn baby. The premature girl, weighing just 3 pounds and 11 ounces, was reported to be in good health.
Sadly, doctors have indicated that Strate is unlikely to make a recovery, and her family may make decisions regarding life support soon.
“She just lost a baby and is now a grandmother,” said Katie Cancienne, a family friend.
The shooting took place Sunday morning as Strate and her boyfriend were driving towards his mother’s house, encountering a silver Dodge pickup truck along North Hoover Road.
Something escalated, according to Cancienne. Witnesses mentioned the two vehicles were involved in a chase and began braking erratically.
The 54-year-old pickup driver, Barry West, allegedly fired his weapon, striking Strate while she was a passenger.
Straight was quickly transported to the hospital, where the C-section was performed.
West was later apprehended and claimed he thought the other vehicle had shot at him first, although police found no evidence to support his account or any firearms in Strate’s car.
He has been charged with attempted second-degree murder.
“These kids just happened to cross paths with the wrong person,” Cancienne remarked.
Friends remember Strate as someone who was vibrant and had a deep dedication to her family and the idea of becoming a mother.
“They truly loved each other,” Cancienne reflected. “The world just won’t feel the same without her.”
