Louisiana state trooper ambushed, killed by suspect in multi-parish crime spree, police say

LIVINGSTON, La. — A man suspected of killing two people, including a Louisiana state trooper, in a crime spree that spanned several Louisiana parishes Saturday has been taken into custody, Louisiana State Police said.

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Authorities arrested Matthew Mire, 31, late Saturday following shootings in East Baton Rouge, Livingston and Ascension parishes, officials said.

The shootings left at least three people injured and claimed the lives of a woman, identified as Pamela Adair, and Master Trooper Adam Gaubert.

Update 11:55 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: Police said Gaubert, a 19-year veteran of Louisiana State Police, was ambushed and killed in his patrol unit.

“Preliminary information indicates that Trooper Gaubert was shot and killed in the area in which an early morning homicide occurred,” Louisiana State Police said in a statement. “The suspect, 31-year-old Matthew Mire, was taken into custody this evening shortly before 10 p.m. without incident.”

Mire is accused of killing Gaubert and 37-year-old Pamela Adair in a spate of shootings Saturday, WBRZ-TV reported. At least three other people were injured.

At a news conference late Saturday, Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said authorities still had “a lot of unanswered questions.”

“We still do not know the motive -- we don’t know why this guy shot five people today and tried to shoot a sixth,” he said, referring to a gunfight Mire allegedly got into with another trooper on Saturday.

In a statement released Sunday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards praised authorities for capturing Mire and shared condolences for Gaubert’s family.

“Master Trooper Adam Gaubert dedicated his long career with the Louisiana State Police to protecting the people of our state and it is with a heavy heart that I mourn his death from injuries sustained in the line of duty on Saturday,” he said. “He served selflessly and courageously to keep our people and our communities safe, and he represents the best of all us.”

Original report: A Louisiana man suspected in multiple shootings across several parishes that left at least one woman dead remained at-large Saturday night and is considered to be armed and dangerous, authorities confirmed to multiple media outlets.

Deputies across several parishes are working with Louisiana State Police troopers to find Matthew Mire, 31, who is accused of exchanging gunfire with a state trooper in East Baton Rouge before dawn Saturday. Authorities later in the day linked Mire to two consecutive double shootings that wounded three and left one dead in a spree that began just after midnight, The Advocate reported.

Deputies with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office first responded to a mobile home park and found two victims suffering gunshot wounds, WWL-TV reported.

According to a news release issued by the sheriff’s office, a male victim was shot in the arm, while a female victim was struck in her arm and leg. Both victims were transported to area medical centers for treatment and are expected to recover.

The victims told police that they heard a noise outside their home before someone barged through the front door and opened fire. Investigators believe Mire knew the victims, and he is also accused of stealing a blue 2013 Chevrolet Silverado in Livingston Parish to escape, WWL-TV reported.

Mire is then accused of breaking into a Livingston Parish home and opening fire, before attacking the occupants of a Prairieville home in Ascension Parish. The male victim in the Prairieville home is listed in critical condition, while the female victim, 37-year-old Pamela Adair, died from her wounds at an area hospital, the TV station reported.

Mire then allegedly encountered a Louisiana State Police trooper at around 5 a.m., who attempted to pull over the blue Chevy. The driver, whom investigators believe was Mire, refused to stop, opened fire on the trooper and continued firing upon the trooper throughout a high-speed chase, The Advocate reported.

“We need to get this guy into custody because there’s gonna be no sleep until he is,” Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard told the newspaper, noting a motive in the shootings has not yet been established.

“We’re pretty confident he’s contained to the perimeter, but we need to be cautious. Is he outside that area? Has he committed suicide? Is he hiding in a deer stand or vacant house? We don’t know,” Ard added.

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