Playground Shooting in New Orleans

Damien Gaines said he, his two sons, ages 10 and 13, and their 10-year-old cousin had just come home from an athletic awards ceremony. Gamble said that neither the block party nor the music video had a permit. Most have been discharged from the hospital but Landrieu said one will likely never walk again. There were two groups of people gathered at the event, those who attended the parade and those who were participating in the video.

“It’s going to require the people who were in this park to basically say they’ve had enough and they’re not going to put themselves in harm’s way and give us information so that the police can do their job”, the mayor said.

Detectives are searching for surveillance video of the shooting and suspects.

“This message continues to go out loud and clear to those involved in the shooting, we are coming after you”, Landrieu said.

None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. Robertson says police also are still working on a breakdown by age and sex.

Sunday’s shooting turned an evening of fun into a nightmare for the hundreds – possibly as many as 500 – who had gathered at the Bunny Friend Playground for what police described as a block party.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry identified the two men charged with murder as Larry Jo Taylor Jr., 18, and Jalen E. Watson, 21, both of Indianapolis, who face murder, burglary, theft and several other charges. In the chaotic aftermath, the gunmen ran off.

Landrieu said he and the New Orleans Police Department superintendent, Michael Harrison, visited with the victims at a hospital.

New Orleans officials have touted an overall drop in crime this year over last year. The initial 16 people reported as injured suffered either a “direct gunshot wound” or a “graze wound” and had all been listed in stable condition.

We share the frustration of Mayor Mitch Landrieu: “At the end of the day, it’s really hard to police against a bunch of guys who decide to pull out guns and settle disputes with 300 people in between them”, he told WWL-TV.