BRUSLY – The Brusly community is mourning the deaths of two local high school students who were killed in a high-speed police chase Saturday.
The victims, 17-year-old Maggie Dunn and 16-year-old Caroline Gill, were both cheerleaders at Brusly High. The school’s cheerleading squad released a statement on Facebook about their tragic deaths:
“As we mourn the tragic deaths of Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill, please keep their families, friends and the BHS community in your thoughts and prayers. Their enthusiasm and bright smiles will be missed more than you can imagine.”
Several of Maggie and Caroline’s loved ones posted tributes on the school’s Facebook page, recounting fond memories of the girls. A candlelight vigil is planned at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Brusly High.
The teenage girls were killed Saturday after an Addis police officer ran a red light in pursuit of a suspect who led several law enforcement officers on a chase through both East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes.
According to eyewitnesses, the police unit crashed into the victim’s vehicle and pushed it into the median.
Maggie’s brother, Liam Dunn, who was a freshman at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, was also in the vehicle at the time of the accident. He was last said to be in critical condition.
On Sunday, 18th Judicial District Attorney Tony Clayton told WBRZ, “This officer has a lot of questions about his speed and recklessness. The public can rest assured, we’re following the facts.”
Clayton told The Advocate that his office is investigating the unidentified officer and that he expects the case to go to a grand jury.
“It’s inexcusable that these kids didn’t get to start the new year, but we’re going to go with the facts first,” Clayton told the news outlet. “I just can’t wrap my hands around why (the officer) was driving at that speed while behind that vehicle. That officer has serious issues.”
According to a report in The Advocate, Clayton said of the officer’s role in the crash: “He set the chain of events in play. He’s responsible for all the reactions to his actions. He’s charged with two counts, and if that poor kid doesn’t survive, he’s going to face another.”
