1 killed, 3 injured in targeted shooting at historic New Orleans restaurant
One person was killed and three others were injured in a targeted shooting in a historic restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana, according to police and city officials.
The New Orleans Police Department said officers responded just after 8 p.m. on Friday to a report of a shooting in the 2300 block of Orleans Avenue, where Dooky Chase restaurant is located.
Four people, including three adult women and one adult man, were found suffering from gunshot wounds. The adult male victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while the three remaining victims were transported to a local hospital.
As of the latest update, two of the injured were listed in critical condition, including one who was undergoing surgery, and one was listed in stable condition, police said.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said the shooting was a targeted attack and that the restaurant itself was not the intended target. “It was a person who was running into the restaurant who was the target,” Moreno said.
NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the deceased victim was a 19-year-old male who lived in the area. She said the victim was chased into the restaurant area, where he collapsed, and the shooter continued firing, striking innocent bystanders who were not targets.
The suspect was described as a Black male wearing a black hoodie. Kirkpatrick said the suspect fled the scene, returned briefly, and then left again. He was last seen running back into the surrounding neighborhood and remains at large.
Authorities said the three injured victims were visitors to New Orleans and were standing in a small foyer area outside the restaurant’s dining room, which was separated by a closed door at the time of the shooting.
Dooky Chase’s Restaurant is a landmark New Orleans establishment that has operated for more than 85 years and is widely recognized for its role in the civil rights movement.
Founded by the late chef and civil rights leader Leah Chase, the restaurant served as a meeting place for civil rights figures in the 1960s, including Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and other leaders organizing desegregation efforts in Louisiana.
City officials said the restaurant has not previously been associated with violent incidents.
Investigators said they are reviewing video evidence and gathering information to identify the suspect and determine a motive. Police asked anyone with information or relevant surveillance footage to contact the NOPD Homicide Section or Crime Stoppers of Greater New Orleans.
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