A shooting was reported in the early morning hours Monday in Red River Estates.  One man was found dead in an apartment on East Riddle Street.  A suspect was arrested and is being held without bond.  The hunt for the suspect tied up traffic in Coushatta for several hours as two local houses were searched by multiple local and area law enforcement officers.

The Red River Sheriff’s Office issued this news release on Wednesday:  On June 21, 2021, at approximately 3:33 a.m., Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office Communications received a call reporting gunshots at an apartment in Red River Estates located at 100 East Riddle Street in Coushatta. Patrol units with the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office (RRPSO) and the Coushatta Police Department were dispatched and responded to the scene. Responding personnel located an individual inside the apartment in question that was unresponsive and appeared to be suffering from a fatal gunshot wound. The alleged shooter had fled the residence. Red River EMS also responded to the location and confirmed that the victim was deceased.

The Red River Parish Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division responded to the location to process the crime scene and begin the investigative process. The victim was subsequently identified as Devin D. Wilson, B/M, age 25, of Coushatta. He was pronounced deceased by the Red River Parish Deputy Coroner.

Sheriff’s investigators/crime scene personnel worked nonstop throughout the day to positively identify the suspect and gather evidence relative to the crime. In addition, his location was narrowed to two residential homes in the area.  Search warrants for the locations were formulated and an arrest warrant was obtained in preparation for apprehending the individual responsible for the homicide.

Due to the nature of the crime, consideration that the suspect was armed with a firearm and the populated target locations, assistance was requested from other area law enforcement agencies who supplied additional tactical personnel and equipment. Our goal is always to effect the arrest without injury or harm to innocent civilians, law enforcement or the suspect. These agencies assisted Red River Parish Sheriff’s investigators and patrol deputies in executing the search/arrest warrants at approximately 2:00 p.m. on June 21, 2021. Both locations were only a short distance apart and located in Coushatta.

At 2:28 p.m. on June 21, 2021, Joe A. Tovar, H/M, age 26, who recently relocated to Coushatta from Minnesota, was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the Red River Parish Jail on one count of Second- Degree Homicide. The investigation is ongoing. No bond has been set at this time and he remains incarcerated in the Red River Parish Jail. Anyone with information concerning this crime is encouraged to contact Red River Parish Sheriff’s Investigators at (318) 932-6701.

Red River Parish Sheriff Glen Edwards would like to acknowledge and thank the assisting area law enforcement agencies:  Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator – Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Special Response Team, Bossier City Chief of Police Shane McWilliams – Bossier City Police Department’s Special Operations Services, U.S. Marshal Chief Deputy Jimmell Griffin – U.S. Marshall’s Violent Offenders Task Force and Chief Kevin Stafford – Coushatta Police Department.

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