NEW ORLEANS — The NOPD has released a video of a person they say is a person of interest in the shooting at Mandina's restaurant last Friday that left an employee dead and a customer injured.
Police sent the video via email and it shows a man walking and you can see a good look at his face and body type.
They are asking for help in identifying and locating the person in the video.
Police stress that at this time, the person is not being sought on criminal charges but they believe he has information vital to the investigation.
Last Friday night, Mandina's was packed with customers, some of whom had enjoyed the day at the Jazz Fest, when a car parked nearby and witnesses said a couple of people fired several shots at a Mandina's employee who was outside working on tables at the restaurant.
The man was killed and one of the bullets went into the restaurant and struck a woman who was in town visiting from Chicago. She was rushed to the hospital and her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Video from inside Mandina's showed customers on the ground following the shots.
The crime, in a crowded restaurant on a busy Friday night, has shaken an already reeling city populace and statements from police and the mayor followed.
New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams was also shaken up. Williams spoke to WWL-TV on Tuesday about how he felt about Friday's homicide.
"[Mandina's] is not just an iconic historic restaurant but it’s a place we all come when we want to celebrate, when we want comfort food, so to lose a young man who was employed here and have a tourist, another person be injured when they’re having a meal, we’ve grown beyond the tipping point in terms of violent crime in our homes, in our streets. The level of gun violence is to the point that Rome is burning," Williams said.
According to the Metropolitan Crime Commission, Friday's homicide was the 88th of the year, 10 fewer than this time last year, but the President of the MCC says the lower number doesn't necessarily mean things are getting better.
"We’re declining somewhat but when you have a homicide that occurred at Mandina's, or a week ago today, where the mother was gunned down in her car with her 1-year-old in the back, that is indicative of the level of violence and indicative of the facts that many of the shooters aren’t attempting to do anything but kill." Rafael Goyeneche, President of the MCC said.
The 90-something-year-old restaurant closed for the remainder of what certainly would have been a busy weekend before reopening Monday. A statement from the owners said that they felt strengthened by the support and love and support and that they loved the city in return.
Some customers who were in line as the eatery reopened on Monday said they wanted to show support for the restaurant and show that criminals would not run the city.
Police ask anyone with information or who can identify this person of interest is urged to contact the Homicide Section at (504) 658-5300 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867.
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