NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The Marigny homeowner who shot a teenager on his property will face no criminal charges.
Merritt Landry was arrested for shooting 15 year old Marshall Coulter in the head last year while breaking into his car.
The Orleans Parish D.A.’s office says they were led to believe Coulter was still in a vegetative state when the teen was arrested earlier this month for entering another home.
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro sites a portion of state law applied to this case which says people who shoot to protect their property are presumed to be innocent.
Canezarro says a grand jury’s decision not to indict Landry, combined with Coulter’s most recent arrest, weighed in the decision to decline charges against Landry.
Landry was originally booked 10 months ago in this case on one count of attempted second-degree murder.
The D.A. now says his office has closed this investigation