NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans mother who family say was shot while her three children were in the home has become the ninth women to be killed in the city in the past six weeks.
On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, new information was released about the shooting.
The NOPD arrested 34-year-old Lostin Lee in connection to the fatal shooting of a 34-year-old woman, identified by our partners at NOLA.com as Keisha Cherrie Gray, a mother of three. The crime occurred in the 3800 block of General Taylor.
Her accused killer is the father of her two youngest children.
Dr. Reggie Parquet from Tulane University says there are a number of reasons women are being killed. According to the CDC, 41 percent involve domestic violence.
"Here in the city we've seen more women be murdered then we saw in the last several years," he said. "(It is) almost double the number."
"Any steps we are taking and need to take to address intimate partner violence are critical to understanding an increase to female homicide," said City Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno.
Former New Orleans city council member Jim Singleton, who lives in the neighborhood says he doesn't understand why women are being targeted.
"I was here when Pennington came in and we had all the crime problems back then but it did not include women the way it is today," said Singleton.
Experts and leaders say we need to work together to change the city's mindset.