14-year-old girl allegedly shot in back of the head by man as she played hide-and-seek on neighbor's property

A teen girl was allegedly shot in the back of the head by a property owner while playing hide-and-seek on a neighbor's property, according to a report by KPLC 7 News.

A man from Starks, Louisiana, was arrested and accused of shooting the 14-year-old girl in the head after he said he saw people fleeing his property.

A spokeswoman for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called out to a residence in Starks at around 1 a.m., on May 7, 2023, to respond to a shooting. Upon arrival they found the teenage girl with a gunshot wound in the back of the head.

The incident in Starks, which has a population of under 700, happened on a family road called Jimmy Doyle Road, home to only three families. The Doyles, the victim's family, and a relative of the victim's family are the only people living on the dead-end street.

Detectives investigated the incident and found that several children were playing hide-and-seek in the area and took up a hiding spot on their neighbor's property.

The accused, David Doyle, said he saw shadows outside his home, so he went inside and got a firearm. Detectives reportedly said Doyle went back outside and opened fire on people he claimed were running away from the property, which is when he allegedly shot the girl.

The young girl was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The 58-year-old Doyle was arrested and taken to the Calcasieu Correctional Center on charges of aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and illegal discharge of a firearm.

Louisiana's "stand your ground" law could be a factor in this case, as Louisiana law dictates that a homicide is justifiable "when committed by a person lawfully inside a dwelling, a place of business, or a motor vehicle ... when the conflict began, against a person who is attempting to make an unlawful entry into the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle, or who has made an unlawful entry into the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle, and the person committing the homicide reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the entry or to compel the intruder to leave the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle."

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