By JIM BUTLER

Police have released no information about what issue provoked three teenagers to allegedly attempt first-degree murder.

A sequence of events apparently began on November 21, when a group, apparently including the three, beat a 14-year-old during a middle school football game held at Alexandria Senior High.

The beating was witnessed by a number of onlookers, recorded and shared on social media.

Provocation for it has not been disclosed.

Two weeks later, at Winter Fete in downtown Alexandria last Saturday night the parties again ran into each other.

After the resulting dust-up, police say, both groups crossed into Pineville, where they scuffled again before scattering after a shot, unreported at the time, was fired.

Around 3 a.m. Sunday the accused trio drove to a Pineville residence where the juveniles were supposed to be. No one was shot in the subsequent fusillade before the suspects fled, Pineville police report.

On Tuesday an investigator spotted the alleged vehicle. The resulting stop ultimately led to arrests of:

Yavier Joffrion, 18; Exavion Philson, 18; and Davyion Hampton, 18.

Each faces five counts of attempted first-degree murder and other felony charges.

Joffrion and Philson were out on bond from previous arrests when arrested this week.

Joffrion was booked September 2 on theft, criminal damage and unauthorized use of motor vehicle charges.

Philson was booked March 1 on illegal possession of handgun and illegal possession of stolen firearm charges.