NEW ORLEANS — A school bus full of kids was driving through Gentilly near Dillard Wednesday, when they heard and may have witnessed a shootout. The bus wasn't hit, but several homes and a car were. While many parents talk to their kids about guns, some parents in New Orleans tell us they're forced to have that talk more often.
Jason Strickland has lived near Dillard his entire life. He used to own a barber shop in New Orleans East but started barbering out of his home during COVID. Now he works out of home full time. As a husband and father of three young kids, ages 8, 3, and 1, his home is full of wonderful memories. His neighborhood though has changed.
"We hear a lot of shots, but we don’t always hear police sirens after," he said.
Strickland said random shootings are happening too often.
"It's more than once a month, for sure, for sure more than once a month," he said.
The most recent was Wednesday around 4 p.m. near Pauger and Humanity streets. Witnesses said someone shot out of a moving vehicle at two people walking who shot back. Several homes and cars were hit. No injuries were reported.
"It's nothing new, it's just another day in the neighborhood," Strickland said.
A school bus full of kids heard the shots too.
"They shouldn’t have to hear it nor should it be something that we as residents or we as people of New Orleans are dealing with on a daily basis in the middle of the day, you know what I mean? Recently right of Elysian Fields there was a shooting in broad daylight, there was a shooting here not too long ago in broad daylight, I mean, 12 in the afternoon these shootings are happening. It's not okay and it's not something we should have to deal with," Strickland said.
His kids have heard more gunshots than he's okay with.
"The oldest one clearly, he's like, 'what was that?' and I've heard the youngest one think it's fireworks, but you don’t get fireworks in the middle of the day on a week day, you know?" Strickland said.
It's conversations he wishes he didn't have to have with his young children.
"Depending on the proximity of the shots I let them know because you want them to be alert and the aware of their surroundings and you want them to understand what's going on in the event they have to protect themselves," Strickland said.
The lifelong New Orleanian is considering moving his family out of the city.
"To have that safe place and being comfortable in your home is being taken away from us," Strickland said. "We spent some time in Houston recently and discussed moving."
Strickland doesn't know what the answer is, but wants to see an effort by city leaders.
"I would hope our mayor, our DA, and our police chief could come together and get a hold of what's going on but at this point it seems to just be getting worse," he said "Let's hope we get some change and hope things get better in our city."
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