9 people shot, 2 dead since Sunday afternoon

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - “The issues of these multiple shootings get me very worried. 5 people shot outside a bar in Central City,” LSU Health Criminologist Peter Scharf, P.hD, said.

Someone opened fire Sunday afternoon in front of the FOX III bar in the 3800 block of Washington Avenue. 5 people are shot and one victim died.

“It’s disheartening when you have individuals take this cowardly approach to kill someone. It is very disheartening,” NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said.

“I’m shocked by it. It has to be someone who was not from this neighborhood,” Eric L’Amont said.

About an hour after the Washington Avenue shooting, police say someone fired at least 6 shots into a home in the 2100 block of North Rocheblave Street.

Police say bullets struck an 18-year-old girl in the back of the home through a window. She died, and a 61-year-old man who lived next door was struck by a bullet.

“The sad reality is that we have numbers of individuals in this city who have questionable restraint, ethical values, concern for others and concern for the law,” Scharf said.

Police investigated four different shooting scenes across New Orleans since Sunday afternoon. In all, 9 people were shot. Two of them died. LSU Health Criminologist Peter Scharf points out while murders so far this year are down, but shootings are up.

“You have better EMT response and you have world-class surgeons. So, there’s a possibility the shootings are up relative to the murders simply because we are saving more people,” says Scharf.

According to NOPD data, there were 245 people shot so far this year compared to 222 people last year. That’s a 10 percent increase.

“This could become a scary place once again. I think what everyone wants to know, Is this a data anomaly?”

Scharf says while the city’s come a long way in reducing violent crime, there’s much more work that needs to be done.

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