NEW ORLEANS -- Two children run away in fear when a masked gunman barges into a store.
On Dec. 10, around 6:05 pm on the 8800 block of S. Claiborne Avenue, a worker at Metro PCS was assisting customers. In video released by the NOPD, you can see an unknown short black male wearing a black zip up mask, a hooded sweatshirt, gray sweater and blue jeans enter the store holding a silver revolver. The suspect demands the worker hand over property and flees the store with cash.
As the alleged robber makes his demands, surveillance video shows two kids who are at the counter run away in fear. The children run towards the front door. The robber allegedly screams something at a bystander just off camera.
The children scramble, running towards the person at the other end of the store.
A worker inside tells Eyewitness News the suspect got away with $400 to $500 in cash.
Eyewitness News showed the video to one woman in the neighborhood. She is in awe that a person would put kids in danger just for some money.
"Even though it looked like he wasn't going to harm the kids, still. Anything could've happened! ou could've tripped. Fell. Trigger went off! Shot the kid," The woman said.
Turns out this is the second robbery in less than a week on the same block.
On Dec. 6, at 6:07 am, a masked gunman entered the Laundromat Zone, which sits just a few feet away from the Metro PCS.
According to NOPD, three victims were doing laundry inside the store when an unknown suspect enters holding a light colored revolver and demanded the customers give him money.
The victims complied and the suspect fled north bound on Eagle Street.
"This neighborhood is going downhill. It's going downhill quick," One resident said.
While police have not confirmed these two robberies are connected, neighbors say they don't believe it's a coincidence.
"He's gonna do it again. It's the holidays. If he thinks he's getting away with it now, yeah he's gonna hit somewhere else," the resident said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to called 2nd District Detectives at 504-568-6020 or crime stoppers at 504-822-1111.