Alexandria man held on $1M bond for Friday night shooting attempt

ALEXANDRIA, La. (WNTZ) — A 24-year-old Alexandria man has been arrested in connection with a Friday night shooting on Lanny Street that left two people critically injured, authorities said.

According to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office (RPSO), deputies responded to reports of gunfire around 8 p.m. in the 4800 block of Lanny Street, where they found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported to a local hospital by Acadian Ambulance and remain in critical condition.

Investigators determined that an altercation between the suspect and the victims led to the shooting. The suspect, identified as Joe Nathan Venson Jr., 24, was located just after midnight Saturday at a residence on Laccasine Drive in Alexandria. RPSO detectives, assisted by deputies from the Crime Suppression Unit and SWAT team, took Venson into custody without incident.

Venson was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center on the following charges:

• Two counts of attempted second-degree murder
• Four counts of contempt of court

His bond is set at $1,005,000.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the RPSO SWAT team conducted an operation Tuesday afternoon in the 2100 block of Albert Street in connection with the case. Authorities have not disclosed further details but said the investigation remains active and additional arrests are possible.

RPSO thanked the Alexandria Police Department for its assistance in the case.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact RPSO Criminal Investigations at (318) 473-6727, the RPSO main office at (318) 473-6700, or Crime Stoppers at (318) 443-7867. Tips can also be submitted via the Crime Stoppers P3 Tipster app at P3Tips.com.

Crime Stoppers is a private, non-profit organization and not a law enforcement agency.