Port Arthur Police have a suspect who they believe was involved in a Tuesday night shooting at a Port Arthur apartment complex that took the life of one man.
Diante Burrell, 20, of Port Arthur has been arrested and charged in the murder of Jevonte Jack, 20, also of Port Arthur.
When police transported Burrell from the police station Wednesday afternoon he told the media that he was innocent and claimed that he had shot Jack in self-defense.
When asked why Jack would have shot at him, Burrell said "They been hating on me".
"I don't know... I got stuff that they don't have," he said when asked why anyone would be "hating on him."
When asked if he knew the victim, Burrell said no and added "but I send prayers to his Family. It shouldn't of been like that."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, That didn't need to happen. That it even got to that point," he retorted when asked if he was sorry.
Police also say that others were involved in the crime and they are actively following up on leads in the case.
Police visited a home in the 4100 block of Fourth street Wednesday morning to question Burrell but he fled according to Detective Michael Hebert.
Officers spotted him running across Lakeshore drive with what they said appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun a couple blocks south of the home Hebert told 12News.
Burrell ran through a gate at a pump station and toward the seawall where he then tossed the gun over it and into the ship channel according Hebert said.
Burrell was immediately taken into custody by officers and police and a fire department dive team was called to search for the gun.
The dive team was unable to locate the weapon.
Police responded to the shooting just after 9 p.m. Tuesday night at the Avery Trace apartments on Highway 365 and found a man who was mortally wounded according to police.
A resident of the apartment complex said that she heard up to seven gunshots outside of her apartment Tuesday night.
This is a developing story. We will update with more as soon as we receive confirmed information.