NEW ORLEANS — A high school graduation celebration turned into a crime scene where three people were shot – including an 80-year-old grandmother who died.
Augustine Greenwood, 80, was a mother of six and a grandmother of 15 children. Her family told our partners at The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com that she was a sweet, loving person.
"Please people stop the violence!! A message to the young ladies that started all of this: Today you took my world away from me and my family, all you had to do was walk away. It was graduation for my son, my mom was so happy to see her youngest grandchild graduate. You have ruined my son and families world, all you had to do was walk away,” Greenwood’s daughter shared on social media.
Greenwood, along with two male victims, was shot following a graduation ceremony for Morris Jeff High School on the Xavier University campus Tuesday afternoon.
The two unidentified male victims have non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Investigators say that two or three people have been detained for questioning.
NOPD Deputy Chief Christopher Goodly said that the preliminary investigation shows that a fight broke out between "two females in the parking area." After that some subjects produced weapons and shots were fired.
"This did not have to happen," said Goodly. "We had a good amount of security here - interior coverage and exterior coverage. Xavier Police were on the scene along with Second District Police."
People who were at the graduation said they were there to experience one of the proudest moments of a lifetime when the shooting began, marring the event.
"We just heard gunshots," said one of the graduating seniors. "They were fighting. My cousin said, 'they're fighting over there, let's go.' Then I heard gunshots."
"One of my friends' grandma got shot right in the middle of the street and she didn't have anything to do with it," said another graduate. "She got shot in the head. She's in critical condition."
Councilman J. P. Morrell tweeted similar sentiments.
"This should've been one of the happiest days in these kids' lives. Now all of their hard work is being overshadowed by another senseless act of gun violence."
On May 19, three people were shot after a graduation ceremony for Hammond High School outside of Southeastern Louisiana's campus.
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