Introduction
Introduction Statistics Contact Development Disclaimer Help
.-') _ .-') _
( OO ) ) ( OO ) )
.-----. ,--./ ,--,' ,--./ ,--,'
' .--./ | \ | |\ | \ | |\
| |('-. | \| | )| \| | )
/_) |OO )| . |/ | . |/
|| |`-'| | |\ | | |\ |
(_' '--'\ | | \ | | | \ |
`-----' `--' `--' `--' `--'
lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
A grieving family cares for a tiny baby girl, delivered after her
17-year-old mother was shot in a road rage incident
By Lauren Mascarenhas, Sara Smart, CNN
Updated:
5:00 AM EDT, Sun August 31, 2025
Source: CNN
The outline of a tiny footprint in black ink stands out against a white
sheet of paper lined with a pastel pink border. “Baby’s first
footprint,” it reads.
The baby girl, born at just 3 pounds, 11 ounces last Sunday, is doing
remarkably well. Her family says she’s been a source of light in an
unimaginably dark time.
Her mother, 17-year-old Katelynn Strate, was seven months pregnant when
she was shot by a driver in a road rage incident earlier that day,
police say. The baby was delivered via emergency C-section, while her
mother was treated in the critical care unit.
Days later, police announced Katelynn had died as a “donor hero.”
“Today, her generosity will save lives, and we are immensely proud of
her for that final act of kindness,” Katelynn’s family said in a
statement shared by family friend Katie Cancienne Liebert.
The suspect who allegedly shot Katelynn, 54-year-old Barry West, has
been charged with second-degree murder and three counts of attempted
second-degree murder, among other charges, the Tangipahoa Parish
Sheriff’s Office said.
‘A preventable tragedy’
That Sunday morning, Katelynn was riding in a car in Ponchatoula,
Louisiana, with her boyfriend and his sister, Liebert said, when things
took a turn for the worse.
The sheriff’s office said it was around 9 a.m. when the SUV Katelynn
was riding in and West’s vehicle began tailgating and
“brake-checking,” or intentionally hitting the brakes, in front of
each other.
But Katelynn’s family maintains the incident was unprovoked.
Katelynn’s boyfriend, who was driving the car, did not engage in
brake-checking or other road rage behavior; he passed West’s car
after he said he noticed it was driving erratically, Liebert said.
He was not charged with anything related to the incident, the
sheriff’s office told CNN.
West allegedly fired a gun into the back of the SUV, shooting Katelynn,
who was in the passenger seat, in the head, police said.
“While West believed the occupants of the vehicle in front of him had
shot at him first, evidence has confirmed there were no other shots
fired in the incident and there was no weapon in the vehicle the victim
was traveling in,” the .
When the sheriff’s office announced the murder charges against West
in a Facebook post, it urged those who believe they’ve had similar
encounters with the suspect to come forward. Comments citing road rage
started rolling in.
“We have seen/heard people indicating they may have encountered him
in similar scenarios before but it doesn’t appear those were ever
reported,” Ashley Rodrigue, a public information officer with the
sheriff’s office, told CNN.
“Several individuals have placed comments on our Facebook page
detailing incidents they believe may have been with (West). We have
replied to all of them asking for an official report.”
Only one of those commenters has followed up with an official report,
and it turned out to be unrelated to the suspect in this case, Rodrigue
said.
In their statement, Katelynn’s family stressed that this was “a
preventable tragedy,” and they are speaking out to ensure “justice
is pursued.”
CNN could not immediately identify whether West has retained a lawyer
to comment on his behalf.
The violent incident has sparked widespread condemnation, along with a
conversation about road rage.
“Just devastating and so senseless,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz
Murrill said on X, earlier saying there was no excuse for the tragedy
that occurred “all because of road rage.”
Louisiana topped the list of states with the most road rage for the
second year in a row, according to a released in May.
“Nearly 60% of the state’s fatal crashes and traffic deaths were
linked to aggressive or careless driving, the highest rates in the
nation,” the report notes.
In addition to raising awareness about the dangers of road rage, the
family wants justice for Katelynn and to see West charged to the
fullest extent of the law, Liebert said.
In the meantime, they are focused on caring for Katelynn’s baby girl
and trying to keep her memory alive.
A country girl
Katelynn was a true country girl, Liebert said. She spent her weekends
out on the lake and liked to fish and spend time in the woods.
She was always active, Liebert said, describing her as a “tomboy,”
with a great sense of humor.
Even a sprained arm couldn’t stop her, Liebert recalled, sharing a
video of Katelynn doing cartwheels with one bandaged arm. She sticks
the landing and says with a smile, “I can do it with one hand.”
Katelynn was excited to become a mother, working to pursue her
education and prepare for her daughter’s arrival, Liebert said.
“She hadn’t had a name picked out for her baby, and she hadn’t
had her baby shower yet,” Liebert said.
Katelynn had only selected a few pairs of baby clothes and shoes after
finding out the baby’s gender.
Recently, Katelynn and her boyfriend gathered with family and friends
and cheered as bright pink confetti filled the air and they learned she
was pregnant with a baby girl. Wearing a blue sundress and a tiara,
Katelynn can be seen beaming and embracing her boyfriend in a video
Liebert shared of the event.
“We know that without a doubt she loved this baby,” Liebert said.
“She chose to give this baby life, and she was looking forward to
being a mother.”
Her family, who is keeping the baby’s name private, hosted a
community baby shower in Katelynn’s honor on Saturday at First
United Methodist Church in downtown Ponchatoula, Liebert said. Those
who have heard Katelynn’s story are eager to support the family.
A for Katelynn’s funeral expenses and baby care has raised over
$45,000 in the days since her death.
<- back to index
You are viewing proxied material from codevoid.de. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.