OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) -- A 17-year-old boy was injured in a shooting early Monday morning in Opelousas while assisting a neighbor with her vehicle.

Jevonte Collins was shot near Plaisance Street and Lincoln Street just before 1 a.m., police responded to reports of multiple shots fired and found Collins suffering from a gunshot wound.

"I was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Collins said.

Collins recounted that he was returning home when a neighbor asked for help to jump-start her vehicle. During this time, Collins said he noticed a green light beam and initially thought someone was playing before he saw a person run past him and then he heard shots.

Collins realized he had been shot when he saw his finger grazed by the bullet that struck his leg.

"The next thing I know, he just started shooting and I looked down, and that’s when I was like, 'Oh no, I got shot,'" he said.

Bred Young, Collins' grandfather, expressed relief that Collins was not severely injured.

"I heard the gunshots<" Young said. "It was about six to seven times it went off," Young said.

Young emphasized the seriousness of the incident.

"First of all, they shouldn’t be playing with guns," he said. "And second of all, you can just go around and shoot a person because they’re not animals. They’re human."

Investigators are searching for a white Chrysler van with chrome trimmings believed to be involved in the shooting. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact Opelousas Police Department.

The investigation into the shooting continues as police seek leads on the suspect vehicle. Collins is recovering from his injuries, and his family remains grateful for his safety.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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