Suspect allegedly involved in Abbeville shooting death located, arrested in Cottonport

Gary Turner Jr., wanted in connection to a recent shooting death in Abbeville, has been arrested in a town an hour and a half away.
​On April 6, 2022 officers received credible information that Turner was at a residence in Cottonport, La. Officers from the Cottonport Police Department, the Moreauville Police Department and the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office quickly responded. Turner was confirmed to be in the residence, and he was confirmed to be armed with a handgun.
The residence was surrounded by officers, and a three-hour standoff ensued. Negotiators were able to make contact with Turner. Turner eventually surrendered to the officers without further incident. On April 7, detectives from Abbeville traveled to the Avoyelles Parish Jail, where Turner was taken into custody and transferred to the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center, where he is being held on a charge of 2nd Degree Murder.
Turner is accused of shooting 18-year-old Freddy Gomez Soto on March 18. Officers who arrived at the scene on Clover Street found Gomez Soto with a gunshot wound to his head. On March 30, Gomez Soto succumbed to injuries sustained during the shooting.
Abbeville ​Chief of Police William Spearman said he would like to thank the patrol and detective divisions of the Abbeville Police Department who did an outstanding job from the time of the call to the subsequent investigation. Chief Spearman would also like to thank the public for the support and assistance given to the police department. Chief Spearman would also like to thank the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Cottonport Police Department and the Moreauville Police Department for their assistance in taking this violent offender off of the streets.