On a tragic Monday afternoon in Harvey, Louisiana, the life of 20-year-old Dustin Parrie Jr. was cut short in a senseless act of workplace violence. On July 17, 2023, Parrie was fatally shot at the FMT Shipyard, his place of employment. The young man, a resident of Harvey, was one of two victims who lost their lives that day. The other victim was identified as 48-year-old Nakie James Brown.
The gunman was identified as Willis Thomas Jr., 31, a former employee of the shipyard who had
recently been terminated. Thomas returned to the shipyard and opened fire on his former colleagues. Following the shooting, Thomas fled the scene. His mother, reportedly unaware of the events that had just transpired, picked him up near the shipyard and drove him to his apartment complex on Manhattan Boulevard in Harvey.
Law enforcement officials quickly tracked Thomas to the St. Germaine apartment complex. As deputies approached him, Thomas fled and began firing at them. The confrontation escalated into a shootout, and Thomas was ultimately killed by deputies' return fire. While bullets did enter some of the nearby apartments, no other injuries were reported at the apartment complex. The motive for Thomas's initial attack on his former coworkers remains unclear.
