Holly MatkinPrairieville, LA – Louisiana State Police (LSP) Master Trooper Adam Gaubert was murdered in the line of duty in an ambush attack on Saturday.
Trooper Gaubert, a 19-year department veteran, was found dead inside his patrol car near Old Jefferson Highway and Airline Highway on Oct. 9, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Investigators said Trooper Gaubert was one of five people who were shot by 31-year-old Matthew Mire during a multi-jurisdictional shooting spree, FOX News reported.
The trooper’s body was discovered more than 12 hours after he was ambushed, according to LSP Superintendent Colonel Lamar Davis.
The series of events leading up to Trooper Gaubert’s murder began when Mire allegedly broke into a Livingston Parish home and opened fire on two people inside, WABC reported.
According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office (LPSO), a male victim suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and a female victim was shot in the arm and the leg.
Both were rushed to a local hospital and are expected to recover from their injuries, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard told WABC.
“The pair tells detectives that they heard a noise outside of their home,” Sheriff Ard explained. “They then witnessed someone barging in through their front door and firing shots. We do not believe this to be a random shooting. It’s believed Mire was familiar with the victims.”
Police said Mire stole a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado and fled the scene, according to WABC.
Mire allegedly broke into another home in Prairieville at approximately 3 a.m. and shot two more people, WABC reported.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office (APSO) identified the victims as 43-year-old Joseph Schexnayder and 37-year-old Pamela Adair.
They were transported to a local hospital, where Adair succumbed to her wounds.
Adair is believed to be the gunman’s half-sister, according to FOX News.
Schexnayder was listed in critical-but-stable condition on Sunday night, WABC reported.
Another LSP trooper came under fire in East Baton Rouge Parish at approximately 5 a.m. while trying to conduct a traffic stop on a pickup truck, according to police.
The trooper was not hit in the attack.
Investigators said they believe the shooter in that incident was also Mire, WABC reported.
Trooper Gaubert’s body was found inside his vehicle parked behind a Capital One bank, WBRZ reported.
He had stopped responding to radio communications hours before, so a fellow trooper went out searching for him.
A swarm of police vehicles were gathered at the parking lot by 6 p.m. on Saturday, WBRZ reported.
Investigators said Trooper Gaubert was fatally shot sometime between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.
“We are investigating [how Gaubert went unfound for so long],” Col. Davis told reporters. “There are some inconsistencies, information we’re trying to gather [and it’s all] currently under investigation.”
Police sources told WBRZ the slain trooper’s patrol car was parked in an out-of-the-way area that could not be seen from Airline Highway.
Mire was ultimately arrested at approximately 10 p.m. on Saturday night following a manhunt near the East Baton Rouge boundary with Ascension Parish where Hoo Shoo Too Road joins up with Bayou Manchac and the Amite River, WBRZ reported.
He was transported to a hospital due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg and bite injuries from a K9, according to WBRC.
Details regarding how the ambush occurred and the potential motive for the shooting spree have not been released, WBRZ reported.
Mire is facing charges of first-degree murder of a police officer, two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, and two counts of aggravated flight from an officer, the LSP said in a press release.
“Trooper Gaubert embodied everything we stand for; honor, duty, selfless service, and courage,” the LSP said in a statement, according to Fox News. “In the days ahead, we will mourn his tragic death and honor his service to our department and the citizens of Louisiana. At this time, we ask that you please respect Trooper Gaubert’s family’s privacy.”
In addition to his nearly two decades of service with the LSP, Trooper Gaubert was also a U.S. Army veteran, according to WBRZ.
“Today, Louisiana mourns the death of Master Trooper Adam Gaubert, a 19-year veteran of Louisiana State Police, who was ambushed while in his patrol unit and killed in the line of duty on Saturday,” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a statement released on Sunday, according to WABC.
“Preliminary information indicates that Trooper Gaubert was shot and killed in the area in which an early morning homicide occurred,” Edwards wrote. “I am thankful for Louisiana State Police and all law enforcement agencies that worked together to capture the suspect in these homicides.”
With a heavy heart, LSP is announcing the death of Master Trooper Adam Gaubert who was killed in the line of duty on Saturday, October 9, 2021.
Please keep our Troopers and Trooper Gaubert’s family in your prayers. https://t.co/k03vYAB9uJ pic.twitter.com/2cUUiKB7jm— LA State Police (@LAStatePolice) October 10, 2021
Another day, another tragedy. Master Trooper Adam Gaubert, a 19-year veteran of Louisiana State Police, was ambushed by a murder suspect as he sat in his fully marked patrol unit. Pray for his family, friends, and his brothers and sisters at the @LAStatePolice. pic.twitter.com/89GRzTFJTq
— New Jersey State PBA (@NJSPBA) October 11, 2021
Master Trooper Adam Gaubert was a 19-year-veteran of the force. He was found inside his patrol vehicle in Prairieville, about 18 miles southeast of Baton Rouge, hours after being ambushed. pic.twitter.com/0tA0E3taQ1
— Berwyn Heights Department of Police (@BHPDNews) October 10, 2021
Here are the deceased victims of Matthew Mire’s shooting spree Pam Adair and Trooper Adam Gaubert @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/DHM4NLI5bO
— Bess Casserleigh (@BCasserleigh) October 10, 2021
BREAKING: @LAStatePolice confirm Master Trooper Adam Gaubert (sp) was shot and killed in the line of duty, the suspect Matthew Mire, is now in custody @BRProudNews #Louisiana https://t.co/IWey7SbiOT pic.twitter.com/z8WrVmUt8Q
— John Walton (@John_Walton_) October 10, 2021
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Louisiana State Police Master Trooper Adam Gaubert, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Master Trooper Adam Gaubert, your life mattered.
Sandy Malone
