FERRIDAY — One Ferriday resident died Monday from a gunshot wound after spending a week in the hospital and another is behind bars in connection with a July 15 shooting.

Ferriday resident Eric Johnson died Monday at Rapides Regional Medical Center after spending several days in the hospital.

Preliminary autopsy reports attributed Johnson’s death to injuries sustained from gunshot wounds to the rear end, Police Chief Richard Madison said.

Ferriday Police arrested Moecke J. Hawkins, 26, 216 2nd St., Monday on a first-degree murder charge.

Police are also looking for Ferriday residents Donte “Lil Man” Leonard, Benny White and Gary Anderson in connection with the shooting.

“We are doing our best to track them down,” Madison said. “We have a beat on them. They are in the Lafayette or Lake Charles area.”

The incident occurred shortly after 1 a.m. on July 15, when Hawkins, Leonard, White and Anderson allegedly shot at a group of seven people who were leaving AutoZone on E.E. Wallace Boulevard.

Madison said nine rounds were fired — four hit the AutoZone building, one hit Johnson in the rear end and four missed completely.

Two of the rounds that hit the building penetrated AutoZone’s walls, triggering an alarm. The alarm alerted the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Madison said.

Johnson was transported to Riverland Medical Center and airlifted to Rapides Regional Medical Center on July 15. He stayed at the hospital until his death on Monday, Madison said.

Anderson was previously convicted of manslaughter and is currently on parole for the charge, Madison said.

Johnson’s death marks the first homicide in Ferriday in 2013.

Madison said most violent crime in Ferriday is drug related, but declined to speculate on the cause of the July 15 shooting.

“I don’t know the exact reason for the shooting, but it was premeditated,” he said. “These jokers sat and waited for the seven to come out.”