A young Louisiana teacher who was just honored as New Teacher of the Year at his middle school is now behind bars, charged in a double shooting that left two men hospitalized. Kyle Delaney, 25, was arrested Tuesday night and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail on two counts of attempted second-degree murder, along with charges of illegal use of weapons and criminal damage to property. Deputies say the shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. on St. Vincent Street in Donaldsonville, where Delaney allegedly got out of his vehicle, fired multiple shots, and fled. Two men were taken to the hospital. Both are in stable condition, one with a single gunshot wound and the other shot multiple times. Deputies later located Delaney at a home in Gonzales.
The timing is what’s raising eyebrows. Delaney was named the 2024-2025 New Teacher of the Year at Gonzales Middle School, and Tuesday was reportedly his last day with Ascension Public Schools. The district confirmed he is no longer employed there and said all questions about the incident, arrest, and charges should go to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case remains under investigation, and no bond information has been released.
It’s important to remember that charges are not convictions, and Delaney is presumed innocent until the legal process plays out. Still, the story raises real questions for families across the Suncoast and beyond: how do districts screen the people who stand in front of our kids, and how quickly should schools communicate when a staff member is arrested? Two men are recovering, a community is shaken, and a lot of people are waiting for answers.
What do you think: should school districts be required to notify parents within 24 hours when a teacher is arrested on serious charges?
