OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) — News 10 has learned new information on what possibly led to the deadly shooting of a U.S. Marine at an Opelousas gym earlier this week.
The victim’s cousin tells us the suspect had been threatening Harrison Bordenave in the weeks leading up to his murder.
Ron Haley says the two men met two and a half weeks ago at the very same gym where Bordenave was murdered. He says the day of the shooting was only the third time they had met, but Bordenave’s family tells News 10 the threats started from the very first time they spoke.
“This was not an ongoing beef between these guys,” Haley said. “My little cousin met him at the gym. He came up to him when he’s on cardio, exchanged some words and at the end of the word exchange, he told my cousin, ‘You don’t need all that cardio because cardio is not going to help you outrun a bullet.'”
That was two and a half weeks ago in early February. Fast forwarding to this past Saturday,
Haley says the suspect, 34-year-old Jason Laday, showed up at the gym once again, this time with another threat.
“He said something to the effect of him ‘being certified in he spanked N-words out her,'” Haley added.
According to Haley, that day Bordenave filed a report with Opelousas police, saying he feared for his life.
“Police came out and honestly did not take it seriously at all,” Haley said. “Matter of fact, one of the officers made a comment about my cousin’s U.S. Marine tattoo and said, ‘Hey, man.’ Something to the effect that, ‘PTSD is a real thing. You’re blowing this out of proportion.'”
Haley said after nothing was done by Opelousas Police, Bordenave’s mother attempted to bring surveillance video from the gym to police on Monday to show that Laday was a legitimate threat.
Less than 24 hours later, her son was dead.
“I saw him shoot my baby point blank range in the chest.” Charlotte Bordenave, the victim’s mother, told News 10. “I will forever beat myself up because I trusted the system. I thought I could go down there with the video and get that boy arrested for the assault.”
Haley says Opelousas Police should have seen Laday’s criminal history, which includes felony theft charges, resisting and officer and flight from an officer, and taken any kind of action to protect Bordenave.
“Shame on you. Do better. Do better by the citizen you’re sworn to protect and serve. It should not come to this. It should not come to a death of a person for your job to be done,” Haley said.
News 10 did reach out to Opelousas police about the investigation into Bordenave’s police report. The police chief said he did not want to comment without all the facts.
Haley, who is also an attorney, says a lawsuit will be forthcoming on behalf of Harrison’s mother. He hopes the litigation will hold Opelousas Police and all parties involved accountable.
“Doing just basic level of due diligence could have saved my cousin’s life and prevented this tragedy from happening,” Haley said.