re: Active shooter near Airline Highway in Kenner

Officers were called to a home along Farm Road on Sunday morning.

Officers found two people who had been shot sitting in a car. The victims told the officers that the gunfire came from 31-year-old Matthew Lathers' home.

Kenner PD had an open investigation into Lathers for an armed robbery and attempted kidnapping that happened a block away from the house on Tuesday. They tried to execute a previously-signed search warrant with the department's SWAT team.

Two hours into the SWAT operation, officers sent in a robot—which was immobilized. Officers did not have confirmation that someone was in the home, so the department sent a robot in before any people.

An hour later, three SWAT officers entered Lathers' home to "free up" the robot. The group took fire and were injured.

When the new SWAT truck arrived, Lathers shot six or seven rounds at the vehicle. Lathers came out again, holding a rifle, and one of JPSO's snipers shot him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Law enforcement believes that Lathers knew officers were looking for him, and shot the two people in the car believing that they were police. Capt. Cunningham said the victims were either going to or coming from church and just happened to stop in the area.