Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Opelousas, LA: Shooting ruled murder-suicide

12:00 AM, Mar. 8, 2011 | Comments

The shooting deaths of a Palmetto couple and an Opelousas woman has been determined to be a murder-suicide, said Capt. Jimmy Darbonne of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office.

After receiving a 9-1-1 call at about 6 p.m. Sunday, reporting gunshots, deputies found Burnella McKnight Rideau dead of gunshot wounds, sitting at the wheel of a vehicle in front of the couple's residence at 690 Joseph St. near Palmetto. In the passenger seat was Jeanette Oliney, 47, of Opelousas. Near the vehicle on the ground was Burnella Rideau's husband, Ransome Rideau, 45.

Upon investigation, officers learned that the couple had begun fighting. Ransome Rideau then fired multiple shots with a hand gun into the vehicle occupied by the women. Both were struck by several shots, causing their deaths.

Rideau then drove to 121 Veazie St., where he got into a physical altercation with Hertley Andrus, who was able to wrestle the gun away from Rideau. During the struggle, the hand gun went off, striking Rideau in the hand.

Rideau then went back to his residence, where he shot himself in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun, resulting in his death.

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