The city of New Orleans has seen nine shooting incidents in a span of just 24 hours that has left three people dead, a tragedy that comes at a time when the number of homicides happening in the city is at a level unseen in over a quarter century.
The first incident took place on Dec. 28 at around 11:30 a.m. when the police received a call about a shooting at a residence in Algiers. On arrival, they found that an armed intruder was shot down by the homeowner. The intruder was taken to a hospital where he died.
Around 1:47 p.m., the police responded to a second shooting in the French Quarter. They found a man who was shot several times following an altercation. Though taken to a hospital, the man later died.
At 8:11 p.m., two people were shot in the Plum Orchard neighborhood. A 29-year-old man inside a vehicle was shot at by an unknown assailant. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A 16-year-old male, who was also shot, was taken to the hospital.
In addition to these incidents, shootings also occurred in North Galvez Street, North Rocheblave Street, Josephine Street, 3600 block of 4th Street, the intersection of Paris Avenue and Gentilly Boulevard, and near Louisa Street.
Crime in New Orleans
So far this year, New Orleans has reported at least 277 killings, which is the highest since 1996. According to crime data analyst Jeff Asher, New Orleans is set to have the highest homicide rate in the United States in 2022. In addition, 37 women have been killed this year, which is the highest annual number since 1996 as well.“What you would normally see is the slap, kick, punch, has now turned into gunshots, using vehicles to run you over. It’s happening more often than it used to. We used to go months before seeing a gunshot victim. Now, we can get five in a week. That’s a lot,” Frye said.
Dealing With Crime
News of the latest shootings come as New Orleans Mayor Democrat LaToya Cantrell is facing intense criticism for her failure to rein in crime in the city. All mayors in New Orleans have been Democrats since 1872. Eileen Carter, who is leading a recall effort against Cantrell, insists that the current mayor is unfit to govern the region.
New Orleans has seen two shooting incidents per day on average for the year, with almost every killing in the city attributable to gunfire. Just 17 people were killed through means like beatings and stabbings.
Only less than a third of the murders have resulted in an arrest.
While many places have seen a drop in violence in the past year, homicides in New Orleans have risen by almost 20 percent.
