NEW ORLEANS — Some folks in the St. Roch neighborhood had a sudden wake-up Tuesday morning.
“At 4:45 I heard gunshots from an automatic and then a few minutes later I heard gunshots from something that was not automatic,” said a neighbor who only wanted to be identified as Ms. Deborah.
Deborah says folks in her neighborhood should not be dealing with the constant threat of bullets.
“These people, they don’t deserve this," she said. "You know, you’re ducking and hiding. One of my neighbors was under the bed.”
Deborah lives next to the 2200 block of St. Roch Avenue where New Orleans police were trying to put together a crime puzzle.
“Our officers responded quickly to the scene and discovered a young juvenile suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body,” Capt. Kevin Stamp said.
Police say the boy was 14 years old and taken to the hospital. As of Tuesday afternoon, he was stable. Another teen was put in handcuffs and questioned by police.
“Two doors down from where we found the victim that was suffering from gunshot wounds, we located a stolen vehicle that may possibly be related to this investigation,” Capt. Stamp said.
Eyewitness News video shows what appears to be a gun taken from the back of that car. Next to an evidence marker, another gun was near where the teen was found.
“It’s sad and I really wish it could stop,” said Crystal Gremillion who’s lived in the St. Roch neighborhood for three years.
Gremillion says she thinks about her own kids every time she hears of another shooting.
“All I do is pray and ask God to be with them and protect all of them, at all times, and my grandchildren,” Gremillion said.
Tuesday’s shooting is just the latest involving kids. Last month, an accidental shooting, also on St. Roch Avenue, left Tyler Ellis, 15, dead. Last Thursday night, police say Octavius Wells, 14, was shot and killed on Lesseps Street in the neighboring St. Claude neighborhood.
“Whatever it is, whoever it is that they’re feuding with, they don’t care. They just murder, murder like there’s nothing to it,” Gremillion said.
“It just seems to be a hopeless situation. It’s very unfortunate because it’s happening over and over and over and closer and closer together,” Ms. Deborah said.
Never knowing when bullets might start flying, neighbors are worried for their own safety.
“It’s frightening that it’s so close to home and I know a lot of people say this, but I’m tired of living here,” Deborah said.
As of Tuesday afternoon there were no updates from the NOPD on whether anyone had officially been charged in connection to the shooting.
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