WWL-TV's partners at The Advocate have identified the man who was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police Friday night in the 2300 block of Orleans Avenue.
Multiple sources confirm the deceased shooter as Zonell Williams, 33, who leaves behind two children.
A search of Zonell Williams' New Orleans criminal records show only one offense back in 2004, when he pleaded guilty to an illegal use of a weapon, went through probation and had the crime expunged from his record.
Records show the incident began when a 911 call came in a little after 10 o'clock Friday night in Treme.
NOPD officers were responding to a report of an attempted suicide in the 2300 block of Orleans Avenue when police officials aid Williams began firing shots at the officers. During the exchange of gunfire, Williams was hit multiple times. He died later at the hospital.
Audio from NOPD dispatch records shows that the 911 call came in from a distressed juvenile who was Williams' apparent stepchild.
"The complainant is advising that the stepdad put a gun to his head, trying to kill himself," said the police dispatcher.
Then, in the background during the call an exchange of gun fire can be heard.
"He got hit in the vest but it didn't penetrate," said an officer on the scene about a fellow officer during radio communications.
The unidentified officer, who joined the force in 2017, was injured when two bullets hit him in the chest. He was transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries and is now recovering at home.
Police said they are very thankful his protective vest did what it was designed to do.
One man visiting a relative Friday night says it wasn't until later in the weekend that he found out his car had taken on bullets during the shootout.
"They shot my car up right here. One shot there, two, and then there's a third shot over here. I was convincing [my sister] that it was fireworks by being this time of the year because that's what it sound like to me, but then all of a sudden we seen all these blue lights flashing and stuff like that there," said the man, who did not want to be identified.
He said despite this shooting, the area is safer.
"It seems to be sort of a way of life that nobody really wants but
it's here, you know so," he said.
NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau is investigating the shooting, and per department protocol, three officers who were also on scene have been reassigned while the investigation is ongoing.
All NOPD patrol officers wear protective vests.