New Orleans, the largest city in the southern US state Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, April 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — At least 18 people were shot, with at least five of them killed, in New Orleans, the largest city in the southern U.S. state Louisiana within 72 hours, tying the record for the last 10 years, local media reported.
The shootings were reported by police in a 72-hour-period from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Monday local time, said a report from local media outlet Nola.
Locations of the shootings varied. Some occured in apartments or residences, some on roads and others were drive-by incidents.
A man was found dead on the ground in a parking lot after a shooting around noon Saturday, police said. The man had been shot multiple times and died at the scene.
In a shooting on Saturday afternoon, two men, aged 36 and 38, were standing near an intersection when four unidentified people drove up and started shooting, police said. The two men ran, but the vehicle followed, with the people inside opening fire again and hitting them. The two men’s conditions were not available on Monday.
In another shooting on Saturday night, a 14-year-old was injured when an unidentified man approached the vehicle she was in with two other people and opened fire.
A 25-year-old woman was riding early on Sunday when she heard gunshots and realized she had been shot.
Early on Monday, a 37-year-old man was shot when two unidentified men approached him and opened fire. The two shooters fled and the injured man was taken to a hospital for treatment.
New Orleans police spokesman Aaron Looney said on Monday that there was a “high call volume” over the weekend, but declined to comment on what might be causing the increased violence.
“We’re actively investigating these shooting incidents and working very hard to find those responsible and bring them to justice,” he said on Monday. — NNN-XINHUA
