Louisiana Road Rage Shooter Faces Upgraded Charges After Pregnant Mother’s Death

PONCHATOULA, LA (KPEL) — Katelynn Strate, the 17-year-old girl who was shot during a road rage incident in Tangipahoa Parish, succumbed to her injuries.

Get our free mobile app

Strate's baby was delivered by an emergency C-section at 27 weeks. Her baby girl is healthy and recovering in the NICU.

Read More: Pregnant Teen Shot in Louisiana Road Rage Incident 

Understandably, her family and friends are grappling with this unimaginable loss.

Katie Cancienne, a family friend, tells WBRZ that it's hard to put into words how it feels to lose someone so full of life so suddenly.

She was ready to be a mom, It’s very hard to form the words of how hard it is that her life was taken.

Charges Upgraded for Accused Shooter

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office arrested 54-year-old Barry West, whose charges have been upgraded now that the victim has passed.

• 1 count of Second Degree Murder
• 3 counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder
• 1 count of Illegal Use of a Weapon
• 1 count of Obstruction of Justice

The incident took place while West and the driver of the Ford Expedition, the victim was riding in, were engaged in a road rage confrontation.

Officials say the two drivers were tailgating and brake-checking each other when West fired a round into the victim's vehicle, striking her in the head.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker weighed in on the now fatal shooting.

You’ve got a baby that doesn’t have a mother,a nd you've got an individual that… will probably never see the light of day again.

A History of Road Rage

According to Sheriff Sticker, other reports have surfaced of West engaging in aggressive driving behaviors on the road.

There’s no excuse for what happened to this young mother

Officials ask that anyone who believes they may have encountered West's road rage contact the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office.

Community Support and Donations

Now, Katelynn's loved ones are focused on planning her service while preparing to raise her newborn daughter without her.

Donations for the baby girl will be accepted from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, August 30th, at First United Methodist Church in Ponchatoula.

Any duplicate items will be donated to a local nonprofit that supports mothers in need.

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.