In a heartbreaking turn of events, 17-year-old Katelynn Strate from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, lost her life after being shot during a road rage altercation, but not before doctors could save her unborn child through an emergency C-section.
It all unfolded on the morning of Sunday, August 24, around 9 a.m., according to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. Katelynn, who was 28 weeks pregnant, was riding in the front passenger seat of a Ford Expedition with two others on North Hoover Road. They crossed paths with 54-year-old Barry West, who was behind the wheel of a silver Dodge truck heading the same way.
Things escalated quickly when the vehicles started tailgating and brake-checking each other, the sheriff’s office explained in a Facebook post. West fired a single shot into the Expedition ahead of him, striking Katelynn in the head. The driver, realizing what had happened, immediately called 911 and rushed her to the hospital.
Investigators later pieced together that West thought the people in the other vehicle had shot at him first, but evidence showed no other gunfire occurred, and there wasn’t even a weapon in Katelynn’s car.
At the hospital, medical teams performed an urgent C-section to deliver her baby, who was whisked to the NICU and has been holding up well under care, officials said. Sadly, Katelynn’s condition worsened, and she passed away the next day. Her family made the selfless choice to donate her organs, giving others a chance at life amid their grief.
West was arrested and initially charged with four counts of attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, and obstruction of justice. After Katelynn’s death, authorities upgraded one of those to second-degree murder, keeping the rest intact.
Rumors swirled that West might have ties to the sheriff’s office, but a check of records going back to 2007 turned up no one with that last name on the payroll.
Sheriff Gerald Sticker called it a “senseless tragedy” with no real explanation for why this family had to endure such pain on an ordinary Sunday morning. He urged everyone to stay patient on the roads and dial 911 if things feel unsafe, rather than letting anger take over.
A GoFundMe campaign, started to support Katelynn’s grandmother—who’ll now raise the newborn—along with covering funeral costs and medical bills, has already pulled in nearly $25,900 by Wednesday, August 27.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t provided further details yet, and we’ve reached out to the GoFundMe organizer, Kristen Blow, for any personal remembrance of Katelynn.
This kind of story reminds us how fragile life can be, especially when tempers flare behind the wheel. If you’re interested in more updates on crime stories like this, consider signing up for newsletters that cover true crime developments and unsolved mysteries.