Police link gangs to fight outside Franklin basketball game

Franklin police believe the fight Friday outside a Franklin Senior High boys basketball game involved gangs, and three people have been arrested, according to Interim Chief Tina Thibodeaux.

Arrested were:

--Kalob Peters, 19, Ninth Street, Franklin, at 8:44 p.m. Friday on charges of disturbing the peace (fighting), inciting to riot and criminal street gangs. Peters was booked, processed and held on a $10,000 bond.

--Ash Lee Miller Jr., 21, Moss Oaks Drive, New Iberia, at 8:46 p.m. Friday on charges of disturbing the peace (fighting), inciting to riot and criminal street gangs. Miller was booked, processed and held on a $10,000 bond.

--Daylon Hines, 22, Wattigny Street, Jeanerette, at 8:46 p.m. Friday on charges of disturbing the peace (fighting), inciting to riot and criminal street gangs. Hines was booked, processed and held on a $10,000 bond.

According to the Franklin police account, officers responded to a report about a large fight at Franklin Senior High. The call came while Franklin was hosting a boys basketball game with West St. Mary High

Officers began efforts to separate the subjects who were fighting and evacuated the gymnasium. Upon evacuation, officers were advised of shots fired outside of the school. Franklin Senior High School was then placed on lock-down.

During the course of the investigation, the Franklin Police Department cannot confirm that any shots were fired during the incident, but they have confirmed that no shots were fired inside the school. Further investigations showed that no student athletes were involved in the incident.

The suspects are affiliated with gangs known as the "Purple Babies" and "Bray Lane Steppers" and have been engaged in conflicts between the rival gangs, the Police Department said.
.
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are pending. All arrests regarding this incident will be forwarded to the 16th Judicial District Attorney's Office and any further questions should be directed to the prosecutor's office.

The Franklin Police Department is asking anyone who has any information or was a witness to the above incident to call the department at 337- 828-1716. You may remain anonymous.

The Franklin Police Department thanked the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, Baldwin Police Department Chitimacha Tribal Police Department and the St. Mary Parish school district personnel for their assistance.

Violence at high school sporting events has been all-too-common this year.

A fight at a Jeanerette-Morgan City High girls basketball game Nov. 15 resulted in the suspension of games for the remainder of 2022.

Security was tightened for Berwick High’s football playoff game Nov. 18 at Bogalusa, where a fatal shooting occurred in the stadium’s parking lot Oct. 15.

A fight involving players and fans broke out Friday at Washington-Marion’s basketball game at Eunice.