NEW ORLEANS — Surveillance video from Banks Street shows part of the shootout that led to a Mid-City triple homicide. Three men died, and bullet holes pierced through several homes Saturday night just after 11.
The shootout happened as several cars chased each other on Banks Street between Norman C. Francis Parkway and S. Rendon Street, according to neighbors.
Bodies of the men who were killed, including a 27-year-old, were found on the corner of Banks St. and S. Rendon St. with multiple gunshot wounds.
With a K-9, New Orleans police officers were back on Banks St. Monday afternoon.
At least three homes have bullet holes, and more than 70 bullet casings were found along the block, according to City Councilmember Joe Giarrusso.
Surveillance video from Banks St. appears to start recording towards the end of the shootout.
In it, you can see two cars stop, and two people run out of the first car toward Rendon Street, then others jump out of the second car. Eight gunshots are heard in the video.
"The new normal is fear. People are scared. All over the city people are scared, and that’s not a sustainable way to live," City councilmember At-large Helena Moreno said.
Moreno believes a state of emergency needs to be declared in New Orleans to try and respond to and prevent the violence.
"It's an emergency. As I've been saying, this is an emergency. I mean this is not sustainable, and I don’t see it getting better. The people in the city don’t see it getting better, so what are we doing to handle this emergency? That’s why we have to create this command unit, emergency operation center type of response to deal with this emergency every day and urgently," Moreno said.
New Orleans police said Monday they can't speculate as to the motive adding, "The NOPD understands residents' concerns and are actively working to identify, locate and arrest those responsible for this incident."
The men who were shot and killed haven't been identified, and police haven't said how many people they believe were involved in this shooting.
Police are asking for help in finding those responsible by reporting any information to Homicide Unit Det. Shonndell Fields at 504-658-5300 or call anonymously to Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
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