Police: ‘Ongoing feud’ may have been motive for after-prom shooting in Jasper

JASPER, Texas (KTRE) - Investigators said an ongoing feud may be the reason for a shooting that injured 11 at an after-prom party near Jasper.

A press conference with multiple law enforcement agencies was held Friday morning to announce that Cheston Hartsfield, 18, Cameron Hartsfield, 19, Tracy Hickman, 18 and Tyler Porter, 19, all of Newton, have been arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and engaging in organized criminal activity. Cheston Hartsfield and Hickman were located in DeRidder, LA. and are currently held in the Beauregard Parish Jail. Cameron Hartsfield was located by the Woodville Police and is currently held in the Tyler County Jail. Tyler Porter was located by the Newton County Sheriff’s Office and is currently held in the Jasper County Jail. A hearing is being held Friday in Louisiana to determine when Cheston Hartsfield and Hickman could be extradited.

Police: ‘Ongoing feud’ may have been motive for after-prom shooting in Jasper

Officials said their investigation remains ongoing, due in part to the high number of witnesses, with only about half of the 200 or so attendees having been interviewed. Additionally, some evidence has been given to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and there could be as much as a 30-day turnaround on it.

Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman said that the shooting was not accidental and was intentional.

“There was a lot going on for months between these two groups of young men that finally came to a head,” Newman said. “(It was an) ongoing feud.”

Lt. Garret Foster of the Jasper Police Department said there is reason to believe these same suspects are connected to an additional shooting that occurred not long after the party shooting.

“The same people left the prom party and came into city, seven to eight miles away, and shot at some individuals,” Foster said. “It was not an accident.”

Foster said the police department is also charging the suspects with deadly conduct. “They were firing those weapons in a neighborhood where anybody and everybody could’ve been struck.”

Foster said there may be additional arrests to come from that neighborhood shooting as there may be more shooters.

RELATED:

Copyright 2023 KTRE. All rights reserved.