NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) — The New Orleans Police Department is currently investigating a series of separate shootings that resulted in three fatalities, including a three-year-old boy. Overall, 11 individuals were shot, with eight surviving their injuries. The police were first alerted early Sunday morning to the 700 block of Canal Street, a bustling area in downtown New Orleans filled with hotels and shops. Upon arrival, they discovered four individuals suffering from gunshot wounds, leading to the temporary closure of the block as tourists maneuvered around the crime scene tape during the busy holiday weekend.
This incident was just one of three separate shootings on Canal Street over the weekend. Earlier, around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, detectives responded to the Marriott Hotel in the 500 block of Canal Street after receiving reports of a man who had stumbled into the lobby with a gunshot wound. He was subsequently transported to the hospital by EMS. Shortly thereafter, at approximately 8:15 p.m., police were called to another shooting near the Ritz Carrolton Hotel in the 900 block of Canal Street, where another male victim was found with a gunshot wound and taken for medical treatment.
Simultaneously, in New Orleans East, officers discovered a man with gunshot wounds in the 8900 block of Bunker Hill Road, with another victim arriving at the hospital shortly after. The violence continued into the night, culminating in the tragic death of a three-year-old boy in Central City. Police reported the child was killed in a residence in the 2200 block of Willow Street and arrived at University Medical Center by private vehicle around 11:20 p.m., where he was pronounced dead.
The weekend's first shooting, which was a double homicide, occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday in the West Lake Forest neighborhood. Officers discovered two men shot to death in the 6700 block of Tara Lane, near the Cypress Parc apartments.
As of now, police have not named any suspects or made any arrests in connection with these shootings. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward, noting that tips can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. The community remains on edge as investigators work to piece together the events that led to these tragic incidents and bring justice to the victims and their families. The series of shootings has highlighted the urgent need for heightened security and measures to prevent such violence, leaving the residents of New Orleans in mourning and calling for peace in their city.
