Bourbon Street, New Orleans shooting leaves 1 dead, 9 injured

ONE man was killed and nine people were injured during a shooting attack in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Officers patrolling nearby rushed to the intersection of Iberville and Bourbon streets after shots were fired about 1.30am yesterday. Pleading for the public’s help, Harrison described the mass shooting as an “act of brazen cowards”.

Victims included two women and eight men. One of them was identified as a victim in the shooting, police said, and was being treated for injuries.

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Police later learned that a tenth victim from the scene who also sustained a gunshot wound arrived at an area hospital by private conveyance.

“We had a robust presence of police officers”, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said.

The area where the shootings occurred is a crowded one, located near the Superdome.

The shooting happened just after the conclusion of the 43rd annual Bayou Classic and a few days after the Thanksgiving Holiday.

He said that officers responded to the scene after hearing shots. Officials said he was raised in New Orleans.

“It appears we’re not aggressively attacking the problem; federal oversight could be hurting us”, said Nungesser, referring to the city’s consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice overseeing police reforms in the city.

“It was panic”, a street vendor told the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

“What I would say to the community is if you want a safe community you’ve got to step up to the plate”, said Landrieu. Paris said he and a friend took cover behind a vehicle.

“It really is heartbreaking, especially on a night like this”, he said.

A parking attendant who declined to give her name was around the corner from the shooting and said she heard rapid succession of gunfire.

During the past 48 hours, police said they’ve made 11 arrests for illegal possession of weapons.

The victim who died, 25-year-old Demontris Toliver, was an aspiring tattoo artist from Baton Rouge. The only gunman charged in the crime, Trung Le, was sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison.