Police say they are still hunting for the 31-year-old man accused of fatally shooting his Mashantucket Pequot Tribal cousin at a home in Westerly Saturday.

Louis M. Seignious Jr. of Norwich allegedly shot Vincent A. Sebastian, 28, of Ledyard, at 3:55 p.m. Saturday at 11B Marriott Ave. According to Westerly Police, Seignious has a child with the female who resides at the Marriott Avenue home.

Sebastian, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest, could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:29 p.m.

Seignious, who is wanted for murder and is considered armed and dangerous, fled after the shooting and was last seen on the Mashantucket reservation. Police Chief William D. Dittman said one of the officers attempting to stop him at around 5 p.m. Saturday had to take evasive action to avoid a head-on collision.

"By the time they turned around and tried to pursue him, he was gone," Dittman said Monday afternoon. "He fled to parts unknown. We don't believe he's on the reservation."

Dittman said his department is applying in New London Superior Court for a warrant charging Seignious with first-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment. The department is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

Ledyard Police became involved in the incident after an unoccupied silver sedan, believed to be driven by Seignious, was found running in the middle of the road in front of 904 Shewville Road, according to Ledyard Police Lt. Kenneth Creutz.

Canine teams were called out to the area, but it was unclear whether Seignious had fled on foot or in another car, and the heavy rain hampered the search.

"When we got there we had an empty vehicle running in the middle of road," said Creutz. "We had no witnesses, don't know who was driving and didn't have a direction of travel."

Ledyard Police seized the car, which Creutz said had what appeared to be some new damage and some older damage, and are taking the legal steps necessary to turn it over to Rhode Island authorities, who will be processing it for evidence.

Members of the tribe had lit a ceremonial fire Sunday, which is considered a sacred ritual to mark the passing of a family member.

"The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is in mourning and devastated by the senseless, tragic loss of one of our family members," said a statement issued Monday by the tribe. "We want to express our sincerest sympathies to all families and friends affected by this tragic event. The Tribal Council's top priority is to ensure the safety of our community, and we continue to work closely with law enforcement officials throughout this investigation."

At the time of the shooting, Seignious, who served five years in prison for armed home invasions in Montville and Ledyard, was free on a $50,000 bond on charges of violation of probation, driving while his license is suspended and possession of marijuana. As a condition of his release, he was ordered to stay employed and not use drugs. His court document noted Seignious has a medical marijuana card.

k.florin@theday.com