Technology stops a gunshot.    

A shooting happened outside of the Louisiana State Fair last Thursday night and a stray bullet hit a member of the headlining band after their performance. 

Police said they found at least 20 bullet casings along Greenwood Road where the shooting took place and one of those stray bullets somehow made it into the tent where the band had just played.

It would have been much worse had a cell-phone not been there.     

“It was incredibly painful to where when it happened I dropped everything in my hands and just kind of laid on the stage for a moment,” said Ben Tynan, local musician, The Hollow Decks.

Tynan walks back to the place that made him thankful for life. He’s in the local band, The Hollow Decks. They were packing- up equipment after headlining the State Fair for opening night when they heard what sounded like fire works. 

 “I start walking around the area where we were performing looking for a stray fire work or something to give my mind ease and that’s when I reached in my pocket to check my phone and that’s when I noticed that, that was the case,” Tynan said as he pulled out a broken smart phone.

A stray bullet hit his cell phone instead of him.

“I’m a incredibly, incredibly lucky human being. If it had been in another pocket, I’d probably have a bullet in my leg. I could have been bending down to pick up a cable at that exact moment and it could have hit me in the back of neck. I could have moved and it hit one of the band members. There’s no telling what could have gone wrong. I think this is the best version of this story. I hope the two the men that actually were hit during shooting make a full recovery and I hope they catch the guy honestly,” Tynan said.

The shooting happened between Greenwood Road and Exposition Avenue. 

“One bullet out of the 20 casing they found didn’t penetrate anything over here, it went across the street, traveled a hundred yards over 20 or more RVs and trucks, to hit a tent and then come down on me. If I had been playing the lottery that day instead,” Tynan said. 

They checked for bullet holes on the tent.

“That one we are positive is a bullet hole,” Tynan said as he pointed to the small opening which overlooks the stage.

He said he’ll keep his now broken phone and torn pants forever.

“So if you lay it all down like that, right there is where the sensor thing is on my phone and right where that hole is, it hit right there,” Tynan said.

Now back on the same stage again, he said the scary night won’t stop him from his passion. 

“Coming back to the actual spot was, is a little surreal. But I mean, it’s super fortunate it was after the show was over,” Tynan said. He said as a touring musician he’s had to think about safety more often after the shootings in Paris, Florida and Las Vegas.

He said he was shaken up that night, but “show must go on” so he joined his band mates again the following night for a gig. He also said he would play the State Fair again. 

The State Fair was closed when the shooting happened so no patrons were inside.
    
Tynan did file a police report.

Two people were actually hit from gunshots that night.
    
Police said they are recovering but the shooter is still at large.