Brad LeBlanc Vidalia, Louisiana man shot dead by 12 year old boy after armed home invader threatened boy’s mom outside her home near Clinton.
A 12 year old Louisiana boy has been hailed a hero after fending off an armed intruder who threatened his mother after fatally shooting the man.
Brad LeBlanc, 32, of Vidalia, was armed with a pistol when he encountered the unidentified woman outside her house near Clinton, on the morning of June 30, according to East Feliciana Parish Sheriff, Jeffery Travis.
LeBlanc forced the woman inside, and a struggle broke out between them. Her son, who authorities haven’t named, feared for his mother’s life and shot LeBlanc with a hunting rifle, Travis said. The home intruder was pronounced dead at hospital.
Travis said his office doesn’t have evidence that would incriminate the boy, along with saying there were no plans to bring charges against him, according to The Advocate. The local district attorney will decide whether the shooting was justified when the sheriff’s office finishes its investigation.
Johnathon Barker of Clinton was arrested in connection with the break-in. He was charged with second-degree murder, principal to aggravated burglary and principal to aggravated kidnapping. Travis told the Advocate that while Barker isn’t directly accused of killing anyone, his participation in the burglary led to LeBlanc’s death.
12 year old boy traumatized
Jennifer Bond of Ethel was charged with one count of accessory after the fact. She and Barker were booked into the parish prison. It wasn’t immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak on their behalves.
The sheriff told WAFB-TV that he’s been in close contact with the woman whose home was broken into and that she has started taking steps to get her son help after the shooting.
‘The mother is understanding that he’s going to need some treatment and need to talk to people and helping him understand that he’s a very normal person that was put in an abnormal situation,’ Travis said.
Arrest records reveal that LeBlanc had an extensive criminal history in Louisiana, which included charges of drug manufacturing and possession, theft, being a fugitive, resisting an officer and trespassing.
According to Facebook posts from relatives and friends mourning LeBlanc’s death, the man is survived by a girlfriend and two sons.
The mother of his children wrote, in part, in a status update last week: ‘anyone who truly knew you, knew how great of a person you were inside. You fought your demons just as much as we all do.’
