NEW ORLEANS — A 55-year-old man was hospitalized after being shot in the back by a bullet that flew through his wall.
It happened on Tuesday night, July 4, at around 10:15 on the 1900 block of France Street, NOPD said.
Ja'Lia Lewis, a neighbor of the man, and her 7-month-old little girl were watching fireworks light up the sky celebrating the July 4 holiday, but at some point the sound of the pops changed.
"I had my baby out last night watching fireworks," Lewis said. "The difference between fireworks and gunshots, an average (person from) New Orleans, would know the difference between them, so we heard gunshots."
She heard at least a dozen shots.
"They would go six to seven shots then stop, then eight to nine, and you can tell it was a different kind of gun," Lewis said.
Lewis said they sounded like they were coming from just down her street near the corner of France and North Johnson Streets.
"When they started letting them go we started high stepping to our door. It was kind of scary," she said.
Lewis didn't realize until police and ambulances showed up that her neighbor, a few doors down, was hit.
"It had me kind of paranoid because I know things have been going on with people just shooting guns and bullets going through your house, and you could just be in your house sleeping, laying down," Lewis said. "So it had me concerned because I wanted to make sure nothing came through our house and my baby stay safe because I know a lot of people shoot guns."
Police have not said if they believe there was an intended target, or if the shots were intended to be celebratory gunshots. Historically in New Orleans, reports of gunfire surge during New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July as people are also popping fireworks. After last year's NYE celebrations, a 10-year-old boy survived a falling bullet in New Orleans East.
"Fourth of July, New Year's Eve; it's kind of a trend now," Lewis said.
This July 4 between 6 p.m. and midnight, there were 35 calls to 911 to report shootings or shots fired in New Orleans, according to 911 call logs.
"Be safe and watch your heads baby, that’s all I can say," Lewis said.
We have not received any updates on the man's condition. NOPD said the investigation is active and ongoing.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.