By Mykal Vincent | WVUE | June 22, 2022
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Two people were killed and a third was injured in two separate overnight shootings in New Orleans, police say.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, two men were gunned down just before 11 p.m. Tues., June 21 in the 7000 block of Lawrence Street just north of I-10 in New Orleans East. Police say both unidentified victims sustained single gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on the scene.
Just before 3 a.m. on Wednesday, police say another man was injured in a shooting at the intersection of Behrman Place and Tullis Drive in Algiers. He, too, sustained a single gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The killings bring the total number of homicides in New Orleans up to at least 142, according to data compiled by the Metropolitan Crime Commission.
In a press conference Tuesday, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said addressing crime is the city’s top priority.
“I feel like I am the crisis mayor,” Cantrell said. “For four years, I’ve managed through my team and I have handled multiple crises.”
Crime victims are saying enough is enough.
“We have opportunity, but this crime thing is definitely out of control,” a crime victim told Fox 8.
This victim lives on St. Charles avenue. After burglars with guns broke into his vehicles multiple times, he hired his own armed security guard.
That guard quickly became a victim in front of the home.
“What we’re dealing with is individuals truly in our city that have no respect for life at all,” Cantrell said. “That’s what we’re dealing with. We have issues with mental health, addiction… that we’re dealing with in our city and it is real.”
The MCC’s Rafael Goyeneche says violent crime has increased as the number of police officers continues to decrease.
“They’re not going to be able to get in front of this and a lot of the other issues with the staffing issues that they have,” Goyeneche said.