Tony Webster | CC Flickr
One person sustained gunshot wounds in a shooting last week after they were caught in a crossfire on Canal Street, according to New Orleans Police.
Police responded to the incident shortly after 9 p.m. on May 3 in the 700 block of Canal Street, where a man was shot in the crossfire after two individuals began shooting at each other, NOPD said.
Upon arrival, police officials said they located a 49-year-old man near Willie’s Chicken Shack. The man, who was not identified, was transported to a local hospital via EMS.
No suspects were immediately identified, according to the NOPD.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell released a statement on May 4 calling the shooting an “isolated incident.
“The New Orleans Police Department wants to assure the public that this was an isolated incident, and our downtown community remains safe, serving as our city’s cultural, historic and economic center,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “Drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, we must do our part to continue the progress we’ve made protecting all the people who choose to live, work and visit here. I am sending my sincerest love and prayers to all those affected by this random, senseless act of violence. The city of New Orleans has you all in our thoughts.”
Denise McSweeny-Melton said she was within feet of the shooting while walking back to her hotel room on Canal Street.
“Our last night in New Orleans I thought it would be cool to see [Bourbon] Street on our way to the Lafayette Hotel on the other side on Canal Street,” she said. “That turned out to be a bad idea. We were five feet from a crossfire shooting (I looked right at the shooter while he was shooting) that hit a bystander. My sister was really shaken but we are OK.”
