Police search for motive in shooting that killed three in New Orleans
Emergency workers tend to a person that fainted near the scene of a shooting in New Orleans, Saturday night, July 28, 2018.
(Matthew Hinton / Associated Press)
Reporting from New Orleans —
Two armed individuals walked up to a crowd outside a strip mall in New Orleans and opened fire, killing three people and wounding seven, the city's police chief said.
The shooting occurred late Saturday on a busy thoroughfare about three miles from the French Quarter, police said.
Police Supt. Michael Harrison, speaking to reporters in televised comments, said the two suspects believed to be wearing hoodies had a rifle and a handgun. He said they appeared to have fired indiscriminately into the crowd. Before fleeing, they took time to stand over one person.
"We believe that they actually stood over one of the individuals and fired multiple rounds and then after that fled," he said.
Police found three victims — two men and one woman — who were pronounced dead at the scene. Seven other victims — five men and two women — were taken to two hospitals. Four of them were driven in private vehicles, and three were transported by ambulance.
Harrison said that one underwent surgery and was in critical condition. The six others were in various conditions, but none of their injuries were considered life-threatening, he said.
Harrison spoke with family members and friends at the scene of the "volatile and tense situation." He called on people to come forward and help police find the killers and also asked people not to take matters into their own hands.
"This was an extremely tragic incident. A lot of people were out here tonight. A lot of people, we know, saw what happened, heard what happened. And we need more than anything for people to come forward to help the [police] right now solve this case," Harrison said.
He said police do not know whether it was gang-related.
Lawrence Russo was buying a scratch-off lottery ticket at gas station when he heard what he at first thought were firecrackers before he realized they were gunshots. He told NOLA.com/Times-Picayune that he heard 13 to 16 shots fired.
"They never stop killing each other," he said, shaking his head as he spoke.
Near the scene of the shooting, beyond the police tape, people could be seen crying and hugging one another in comfort.
The New Orleans Advocate news site reported that a woman stood behind the crime scene tape shouting, "Pick my brother up," as two bodies lay uncovered. NOLA.com/Times-Picayune reported two men were trying to console two sobbing women as one of the women shouted, "That's my baby!"
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement: "There is no place in New Orleans for this kind of violence. I speak for everyone in our city when I say we are disgusted, we are infuriated, & we have had more than enough. Three more lives — gone. It has to end. It's unacceptable anywhere."