In the summer of 2023, a life was tragically cut short in New Iberia, Louisiana. Ernest Bernard, a 34-year-old male from Lafayette, was killed on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. The fatal incident unfolded at the Southern Comfort Inn and Suites, located in the 900 block of East Admiral Doyle Drive.
That day, officers from the New Iberia Police Department's Uniformed Patrol Division were dispatched to the hotel in response to a report of shots being fired. Upon their arrival, they discovered Mr.
Bernard on a balcony, suffering from a gunshot wound. Acadian Ambulance was called to the scene, and paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. Ernest Bernard succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an arrest was made swiftly and in a rather unexpected manner. A young man named Jasiah Lewis was identified as the suspect in the killing. In a significant development, Lewis's own mother brought him to the New Iberia Police Department and turned him in to the authorities.
Following this, Jasiah Lewis was taken into custody and subsequently booked into the Iberia Parish Jail. He has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Ernest Bernard. The case is now proceeding through the legal system.
