Lavaca, Arkansas



From the Fort Smith Times-Record of May 10, 2004

Gunbattle Erupts At Lavaca Home



A shootout at a residence Sunday night left one person dead and one injured, police said.



The incident occurred at a residence in the 1800 block of Holt Street sometime between 9 and 9:30 p.m., authorities said. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found a man dead and a woman injured, Lavaca Police Chief Randy Dean said.



Dean did not immediately release the names of any of the people involved.



The injured woman had at least one gunshot wound to the shoulder, Dean said. She was taken by ambulance to a Fort Smith hospital.



Witnesses told police an armed man forced entry through the back of the house, which was occupied by four people, and an exchange of gunfire followed, Dean said. The man who was killed was identified as the man who broke into the residence.



A semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and a handgun were found in the house. Spent rounds from all three weapons were found, indicating that all three weapons were fired in the gunbattle, Dean said.