Man booked with attempted murder after firing a shotgun in the direction of two younger men who weren’t struck

A Violet man has been booked with attempted murder and other charges after firing a shotgun in the direction of two younger men who weren’t struck, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Rodney Bailey, 57, 6224 4th St., was booked Sept. 14 with two counts of attempted murder, illegal use of a weapon and aggravated assault. He is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $20,000.

Bailey told investigating deputies he hadn’t been trying to kill the men but wanted them to know he wasn’t playing around in an earlier exchange with them.

Sheriff’s deputies seized a shotgun at Bailey’s home after the incident that happened about 4 p.m.

Two Violet men, 26 and 22, respectively, said Bailey shot at them, but neither was injured, the sheriff said.

The men said that a few minutes before the incident they had been talking and smoking a cigarette with Bailey, then had left but soon returned to Bailey’s porch and knocked on his door.

They said Bailey opened the door and told them to leave but they thought he was joking around and they stayed. Soon Bailey came to a window holding a shotgun and again told them to get off his porch, they told deputies.

They left but Bailey came outside 10 minutes later with the gun and the men exchanged words with him before Bailey aimed the shotgun and shot at them from about 50 yards away, the men said. Leaves fell from a tree above them but they weren’t hit, they said.

Rodney Bailey’s brother, Darryl Bailey, said his brother had fired the gun but hadn’t aimed it at the men, then had put the gun back in the residence.

When questioned by deputies before his arrest, Rodney Bailey admitted he fired but hadn’t been trying to kill the men, saying he wanted them to know he wasn’t playing around.