Louisiana Man Accidentally Shoots Girlfriend, Mistaking Her for Intruder

A Louisiana man could be facing jail time after accidentally shooting his girlfriend early Friday morning.

Get our free mobile app

The Baton Rouge Police Department arrived just after 1 am at an apartment on Burbank Drive, where a shooting was reported. Michael Taylor Jr. told police he heard someone trying to enter his apartment from his front door but he wasn't expecting anyone.

Taylor, thinking there was an intruder, grabbed his gun and fired multiple shots, with one hitting the person outside. He then discovered that it wasn't an intruder, it was actually his girlfriend.

According to WBRZ, Taylor's girlfriend lives in Texas and had no idea she was planning on stopping by his apartment in Baton Rouge. Unfortunately, Taylor's girlfriend wasn't the only one who was shot. One of the stray bullets also struck his dog, who was on the couch near the front door.

Thankfully, both Taylor's girlfriend and his dog sustained non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to make a full recovery.

As for Taylor, he is facing possible jail time after being arrested for cruelty to animals, attempted second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and illegal use of a weapon.

Questions are circulating about whether he will be found guilty of all of these charges since he didn't intentionally shoot his dog.

Louisiana's Stand Your Ground Law

While Louisiana does have the Stand Your Ground Law, this does not apply to convicted felons.

Under Louisiana Revised Statute 14:95.1, convicted felons are prohibited from owning or carrying a firearm for at least 10 years after completing their sentence, parole, or probation.

This is a developing story, and the KPEL News Team is working to provide additional coverage for Acadiana. Updates will be shared as they become available, so download the KPEL News app via Google Play or in the App Store and subscribe to breaking news alerts to get the latest information sent directly to your mobile device.

You can also use the KPEL app to submit a news tip, share a traffic update, or chat directly with our on-air team.

Be sure to bookmark our latest site, wearelafayette.net, where we provide more local news coverage as well as lifestyle and community features.

To report errors, omissions, or other concerns regarding the content above, send emails to news@kpel965.com.