NEW ORLEANS — It was business as usual Wednesday as folks hustled along Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, many unaware of the triple shooting that happened nearby just hours before.
“I did hear three pops. Pop, pop, pop, and everybody took off,” said Houston resident Brandon Lewis.
Lewis came to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. He was changing hotels just after midnight when New Orleans Police say someone started shooting near the intersection of Canal and Royal, injuring three people.
“You hear gunfire, the first thing you do is duck,” said Lewis. “You want to live and get out of harm’s way.”
Police say a group of females was fighting in the 100 block of Royal Street, just off Canal, when someone pulled out a gun. According to police, two men and one woman were injured. One of them was taken to the hospital.
It happened just blocks away and less than thirty minutes after law enforcement and city leaders started walking down Bourbon Street to mark the official end of Mardi Gras.
“We don’t see results,” said business owner Ayman Salem.
Salem says celebrations are great, but he’s tired of seeing shootings and other crimes right outside his Canal Street business.
“This is our city. We have business out here. We pay rent, high rent. We don’t want to lose our tourists, our customers,” said Ayman.
According to past reporting from WWL Louisiana, there have been multiple shootings, some deadly, along Canal Street in downtown over the past few years. Salem says one of his customers died in front of his store a few years ago.
“The dude that shot him, he shot him around the corner, he walked here injured, holding his heart because he got shot in the heart and he just collapsed right here,” said Salem.
Salem says when state troopers were more present along Canal there weren’t as many problems. That’s why he applauds the push from Governo Landry to put more troopers back in the city.
So does the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation which released a statement endorsing Governor Landry’s “tough on crime” policy proposals.
“This renewed and coordinated approach to crime in our great city of New Orleans will likely produce an immediate positive impact on public safety and should be celebrated at each milestone,” reads part of the statement.
Salem hopes that’ll be the case. He closes his business early because of crime issues.
“We just want peace. We want to feel like we’re coming to work and going home safely,” said Salem.
At last check, New Orleans police were still looking for the person responsible for this shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call New Orleans Police.
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