When 16-year-old Jances Simmons, a Hahnville High School freshman, went to a party on May 9 with a group of friends, he never imagined that a few hours later he’d be rushed to the hospital facing surgery.
But that’s exactly what happened when Simmons, an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire of two groups of teenagers shooting at each other as he left the old Lion’s Club at 1536 River Road in Hahnville around midnight. One of those bullets struck Simmons in the back of the head as he and his friends were driving away.
According to Jances’ mother, Carolyn Simmons Smith, the bullet hit her son’s skull causing swelling and bleeding in his brain. That bullet is now lodged underneath his right eyelid.
“My friends and I were in the car, on our way home leaving the party,” Simmons recounted as he recovered at Oschner Hospital in Jefferson Parish. “There were two carloads of teenagers shooting at each other. I was sitting in the back seat of the car, listening to my iPod.
“I heard gunshots, then I felt something hit me. I touched the back of my head and my hand was covered in blood and I realized I had been shot.”
Simmons says his best friend, who was driving the vehicle, didn’t think twice and quickly drove him straight to St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling. He was later transferred to Jefferson Parish for medical treatment.
“I think the shooting is senseless,” Simmons said. “I’m in the hospital over this nonsense.”
Simmons doesn’t remember everything that happened that night because of the medical trauma he’s had to endure over the past few weeks, but he says he recalls two carloads of teenagers having a gun fight. The vehicle that he was in happened to get caught in the crossfire as the teens tried to flee the barrage of bullets.
“The hospital will be bringing in an eye specialist from another state to perform the surgery on Jances’ eye to remove the bullet,” Smith said. “What these teenagers need to realize is that violence is not necessary and bullets don’t have a name on them. My son or any one of those other children could’ve been killed.”
Even though Simmons now has to face a series of operations, doctors are optimistic because he is still able to see out of the eye where the bullet is located. They don’t believe that he will lose that ability after the surgeries.
“My son was on a ventilator for a week because the bullet was first in the back of his skull and caused swelling around the brain and a blood clot had formed.” Smith said.
The swelling has since receded and the blood clot has disappeared, but doctors are still monitoring her son closely to make sure he doesn’t catch pneumonia.
Smith said she was in shock when she heard the news that her son had been shot because this is the second tragedy the family has had to endure.
In March, Smith’s husband died when a vehicle struck him as he worked on a road crew in Morgan City.
“So when I got a phone call telling me Jances was shot I just couldn’t believe it.”
Smith says only her faith in God gives her the strength to make it from one day to the next.
“It’s been rough on me right now with everything that has happened,” she said. “I’m just grateful that my son made it to the hospital and he’s getting better.”
Two 18-year-old men have been booked with attempted murder in connection with the shooting. John B. Lumar Jr., 1832 Paul Maillard Road, of Luling, and Joshua D. Taylor, 129 Turner Lane, of Boutte, are both being held in jail on $100,000 bond.
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