One killed, four injured in shooting
By Lee Williams
Published in News on January 22, 2007 1:45 PM
DUDLEY -- One man is behind bars and two others are being sought in a weekend drive-by shooting that killed a 34-year-old Dudley man and injured four others including a 6-year-old girl during a child's birthday party at Durham Lake Clubhouse.
Arturo Avila Laredo, 18, of Eagles Nest Road, Dudley, was taken into custody less than 24 hours after the shooting that killed Arturo Acevedo, 34, and injured Amado Trejo Acevedo, 37, Deago Ramos, 24, Adriana Hernandez Moran, 22, and Jocelyn Trejo Ramirez, 6.
Laredo was driving the alleged getaway car, a 1998 burgundy Hyundai, when he was captured by authorities during the manhunt that followed. The Hyundai was also seized, officials said.
Laredo faces various charges including murder, assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury with the intent to kill and shooting into an occupied business. He was being held at the Wayne County Jail.
A barrage of bullets showered the clubhouse about 11:40 p.m. Saturday striking the five victims inside of the building as friends and family gathered to celebrate a 1-year-old's birthday party.
Alcohol was believed to be involved, Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders said. He added that while some of the members could have been in a gang, he doesn't believe gang activity played a part in the shootings.
The 6-year-old was shot in the arm. One female was shot in the jaw. One person received shots to the face and head area and one person was shot in the back, Winders said.
"It was a fight at the club and later possibly some of the people who were in the fight came back," Winders said.
Laredo still bore severe bruises from the alleged fight when he was brought in for questioning.
The scene was chaotic as rescue crews from Dudley Volunteer Fire Department, Mar Mac Fire Rescue and Wayne County Emergency Medical Services responded to transport the injured.
Wayne County sheriff's deputies and investigators also swarmed the building to investigate the murder and search for the gunmen, who were described by some witnesses as wearing blue bandanas.
Investigators collected 15 shotgun shell casings from a .223 S/A rifle at the scene late Saturday.
Winders called the incident a tragedy.
"It was a very terrible tragedy, especially since this young man was killed, leaving behind a widow, two 2-year-old twins and an 8-month-old baby," he said.
Winders said his investigators has been working been working around the clock to solve the case and he asks anyone with information about the case to come forward and call Crime Stoppers at 735-2255 or Detective Sgt. R. Thomas Flores, the lead investigator on the case.