METAIRIE, La. — A man was arrested Tuesday night, hours after a double homicide on W. Metairie Avenue that authorities say he's responsible for caring out.
They also say he's responsible for killing another man less than a day earlier and just blocks away, in a violent 24 hours in the area.
"We’ve had a violent day in Jefferson Parish, especially here on the East Bank along west Metairie," Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said.
The man, who Jefferson Parish Sheriff's officials are not identifying at this time, surrendered without incident after an hours-long police roll outside a house on Trefmy Avenue, off Mitchell Avenue near the Shrine on Airline around 8 p.m.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said the man is responsible for leaving two men shot to death in a vehicle on W. Metairie Avenue around 4:20 p.m.
Lopinto also said he believes the man is responsible for another homicide that happened blocks away from the police roll early Tuesday morning, near West Metairie and Henry Landry avenues.
Neighbors like Lorraine Meehan said they were shocked by the violence in their normally quiet community.
"If it’s random or if they had a reason or something I don’t know, but if it’s just random shooting it could happen to anybody," Meehan said.
Sheriff's officials said deputies were responding to a call of a homicide at the intersection of W. Metairie Avenue and N. Upland Street around 4 p.m.
When they arrived, they found two unidentified men dead at the location inside a vehicle that appeared to be an SUV. They were pronounced dead on the scene.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday at the scene, Lopinto said investigators did not yet know if the killings were connected to a fatal shooting on the same road early Tuesday morning.
However, after the man was arrested, Lopinto said investigators believed the killings were connected.
JPSO officials said the first shooting happened around 1 a.m. near West Metairie and Henry Landry avenues. Lopinto said neighbors called 911 after hearing gunshots. Deputies arriving at the scene found an unidentified 26-year-old unconscious in the area.
A couple of hours later, a second separate shooting was reported around 3:30 a.m. in the 200 block of North Elm Street near Airline Drive. Authorities say one man was wounded but his injuries were not life-threatening.
The investigation into the killings is still under investigation.
Anyone with information about these shooting can call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
The name of the suspect and these victims are expected to be released at a press conference tomorrow. No official charges, nor a motive for the killings, have been announced.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story had a later time when the incident occurred and a different cross street. This report has been updated to reflect the shooting occurred around 4:20 p.m. near N. Upland Street.