Abbeville Police Shed Light on Weekend Shootout, But Black Van Mystery Deepens

ABBEVILLE, La. — A viral video, a weekend shootout, and a black Chevrolet van at the center of it all — yet somehow, locals in South Louisiana are left with more questions than answers.

On April 5, Facebook user Jeaneen Campbell posted a live video showing what appears to be a black Chevrolet van parked outside a medical facility. The video, which includes NSFW language, has spread quickly across social media, as users try to link it to a separate but eerily similar van reportedly involved in a violent incident the same day in Abbeville.

In Campbell’s video, a rifle is visibly resting in the driver’s side door of the van. She claims the person driving the van had been shot and drove themselves to the hospital. While none of her claims have been confirmed by police, the timing and details in her video closely align with a report released by Abbeville Police following a shootout on April 5.

According to Police Chief Mike Hardy, officers responded around 4:15 p.m. after receiving a call from a woman who said she’d been shot and was driving herself to Abbeville General Hospital. Investigators later confirmed that two vehicles were involved: a black Chevrolet van with a Texas plate and a blue Dodge Charger with a Louisiana plate. According to a KADN News 15 report, witnesses and surveillance cameras captured what authorities described as an exchange of gunfire involving high-powered weapons.

Police say two individuals exited the Dodge Charger and opened fire using a .223 rifle and a .40 caliber pistol. The driver of the van returned fire from inside her vehicle, despite being hit twice. She was later transferred to a trauma center in Lafayette. No arrests have been made at the time of this post.

Adding to the confusion, another viral Facebook post from Jerren Dugas days before the incident showed a black van matching the description of the one involved in the shooting. The similarities have led some locals to believe the vehicle has been involved in more than one suspicious incident — but no official connection has been confirmed.

As it stands, police have not publicly identified any suspects or victims, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Abbeville Police are urging anyone with information to come forward by calling 337-893-2511 or reaching out anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Vermilion at 337-740-TIPS (8477).

Until authorities connect the dots, the black van—and the social media storm surrounding it—will remain a mystery, and South Louisiana residents will remain on high alert.