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Waiter killed, tourist wounded in shooting at popular New Orleans restaurant: "Everyone is feeling this"

May 1, 2023 / 11:30 AM EDT / CBS/AP

A shooting outside a well-known New Orleans restaurant Friday killed an employee, and one bullet penetrated the restaurant and wounded a Chicago tourist visiting for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Interim New Orleans police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork told reporters Saturday that the shooting happened outside Mandina's Restaurant in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood. No suspects have yet been named.

Woodfork said police believe two assailants targeted the waiter, whom family members identified to The Times-Picayune of New Orleans as 23-year-old Hilbert Walker III.

A private security guard returned fire, Woodfork said, and was not injured. Diners told local news outlets that they dived to the floor seeking cover and that police didn't let them leave for more than an hour.

The 54-year-old Chicago woman was visiting for Jazz Fest and was at Mandina's "to celebrate the birthday of a friend," when she was shot, Woodfork said. She did not say what condition the tourist was in.

The shooting caused alarm in New Orleans, a city with an economy dependent on tourism. It came on the first day of the two-weekend Jazz Fest, one of the busiest tourist periods in the city.

"This was an isolated incident that did not occur in the vicinity of the festival," Woodfork said.

The restaurant announced it would be closed Saturday and Sunday.

"We want to offer our condolences to the victims of this heinous incident," Woodfork said, CBS affiliate WWL-TV reported . "We are doing everything in our power to make sure incidents like these don't happen again."

The police department has about 150 to 180 officers providing security and directing traffic at the festival, Woodfork said. It's held at the Fair Grounds Race Course, about 2 miles from the restaurant.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell sent her condolences to the victims in a statement.

"A celebratory day was later marred by another senseless act of violence," she said.

The shooting happened on the first night of Jazz Fest at a restaurant that's been a New Orleans landmark for more than 90 years, WWL-TV reported. Cindy Mandina, the fourth-generation family owner, told The Times-Picayune  that the owners met to discuss what to do next.

"Another restaurant owner called me crying. Everyone is feeling this," Mandina says. https://t.co/iXHcLp8FNo — WWL-TV (@WWLTV) April 30, 2023

"Another restaurant owner called me crying. Everyone is feeling this," Mandina told the newspaper.

The restaurant ultimately decided to reopen on Monday, WWL-TV reported.

Concerns about crime and poor city services recently drove a racially polarizing effort to recall Cantrell, a Black Democrat who is the first woman to lead the city. That effort failed in March after organizers fell far short of the number of signatures required to force a recall election.

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New Orleans shocked after horrific killing of tourist in hotel during holiday tourism season

The new orleans police department says the beating death was a "random act of violence".

Horrific hotel killing of a tourist in New Orleans shocks city during holiday tourism season

The brutal beating death of a tourist in New Orleans earlier this month is sending chills through the city during its holiday tourism season.

The brutal beating death of a tourist in New Orleans is sending chills through the city during its holiday tourism season. 

It's also adding to the city's reputation as one of the most dangerous places in America . 

The New Orleans Police Department says the death of 73-year-old David Sorenson, visiting from Missouri, was a random act of violence. 

On December 1, Sorenson and his wife were asleep in their room at the Avenue Plaza Hotel on St. Charles when they heard a knock on their door. Police say a man entered and beat Sorenson to death while his wife took cover in the bathroom. 

STARBUCKS MAKES GOOD ON PROMISE TO CLOSE MORE STORES AS CRIME RAGES IN NEW ORLEANS

29-year-old Martin Hurtado, who worked at a nearby restaurant, was arrested for the crime. 

This horrific incident, along with New Orleans on track to be the murder capital of America this year, is leading some business owners in the city's tourist district to fear visitors just might stop coming. 

Monique Hamilton, co-owner of Unique Nola Tours, says her tour guides need more work. 

"I employ 15 tour guides," Hamilton said. "We offer 7 different tours but in the last couple weeks, we're lucky if we do two or three tours in one day. It's slow. It really is." 

A tourist takes a photo of street performers in New Orleans' French Quarter. (Fox News / Fox News)

Hamilton says the city's winter busy season really picks up in January, but she wonders how crime is having an impact. 

As of December 11, 2022, there have been 264 homicides in New Orleans. This is the most homicides per residents in the United States, passing St. Louis, Chicago and New York City. It's also a 134% increase from just three years ago. In 2019, New Orleans had 113 homicides, according to the Metropolitan Crime Commission . 

"Even though the vast majority of the crime is between people who know each other, that would scare some people off," Hamilton said. "People that have never been here, I think this will deter them." 

Since starting her tour company in 2016, Hamilton says crime concerns have always been part of the conversation. She believes this slower season has more to do with inflation and people not having the money to travel, but she can't rule out crime. 

"We get asked about crime, especially for corporate events, but I don't think it's overly affecting tourism," Hamilton said. 

A jazz band performs for tourists in the French Quarter.  (Fox News / Fox News)

CONCERNS ESCALATE OVER SAN FRANCISCO'S RISING CRIME HURTING BUSINESS

Hamilton's business has had its fair share of incidents over the last year, but she's thankful none of her guests or guides have been injured. 

In May, her security cameras captured an attempted shooting outside the door to her shop. The video shows a man firing a gun, but it jams. Bystanders drop to the floor as the men involved run in different directions. 

Hamilton also had two tour guides attacked in the last six months. 

"One was a resident who lived in the French Quarter," Hamilton said. "He came up and pushed one of my tour guides down. The other one was a homeless person who came up to one of the tour guides and pulled out a knife." 

Hamilton says in both incidents, the tour guides were able to quickly get their groups to safety. 

"The guides are prepared for this," Hamilton said. "They know this stuff is unavoidable in the French Quarter. You have to expect something is going to happen because it happens everywhere, doesn't matter the city." 

NEW ORLEANS POLICE SUPERINTENDENT RETIRES AMID CONTROVERSY IN AMERICA'S MURDER CAPITAL

Tourists visiting New Orleans last week were surprised to learn of the crime trends in the city while speaking with Fox News, but told us they were keeping safety in mind. 

Most of the tourists who spoke with Fox News were surprised to learn of the city's rampant crime trends.  (Fox News / Fox News)

"We're not loose with flashing money around, and we're not staying out late at night," said Sophia and James Smith, visiting from the Houston area. 

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"We always look out and watch," said John and Janet Allison from Louisville. "He puts his wallet in his front pocket and I keep my bag over my shoulder and zipped." 

This year of rampant crime also comes at a time when the NOPD is at record-low numbers. For the last year, those in the hospitality industry have funded additional patrols of the French Quarter. 

Tourist shot and waiter killed in New Orleans restaurant shooting during Jazz festival

A waiter at a well-known New Orleans restaurant was killed and a customer who was a tourist visiting the city for the Jazz festival injured in a shooting.

• 19:41, 1 May 2023

A shooting at a well-known New Orleans restaurant Friday killed an employee, and one bullet penetrated the restaurant and wounded a Chicago tourist visiting for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Interim New Orleans police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork told reporters Saturday that the shooting happened outside Mandina's Restaurant in New Orleans' Mid-City neighbourhood. No suspects have yet been named.

Mr Woodfork said police believe two assailants targeted the waiter. Family members identified to The Times-Picayune of New Orleans as 23-year-old Hilbert Walker III.

A private security guard returned fire , Mr Woodfork said. Diners told local news outlets that they dived to the floor seeking cover and that police didn't let them leave the crime scene for more than an hour.

The 54-year-old Chicago woman was visiting for Jazz Fest and was at Mandina’s “to celebrate the birthday of a friend,” when she was shot, Mr Woodfork said. She did not say what condition the tourist was in.

The shooting has caused alarm in New Orleans, a city with an economy dependent on tourism. It came on the first day of the two-weekend Jazz Fest, one of the busiest tourist periods in the city.

“This was an isolated incident that did not occur in the vicinity of the festival,” Mr Woodfork said.

The restaurant announced it would be closed Saturday and Sunday.

The police department has about 150 to 180 officers providing security and directing traffic at the festival, Mr Woodfork said. It's held at the Fair Grounds Race Course, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) from the restaurant.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell sent her condolences to the victims in a statement.

“A celebratory day was later marred by another senseless act of violence,” she said.

Concerns about crime and poor city services recently drove a racially polarizing effort to recall Cantrell, a Black Democrat who is the first woman to lead the city.

That effort failed in March after organizers fell far short of the number of signatures required to force a recall election.

MORE ON Crime

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New Orleans Restaurant Shooting Kills Waiter, Wounds Tourist

A shooting outside a well-known New Orleans restaurant has killed an employee

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A shooting outside a well-known New Orleans restaurant Friday killed an employee, and one bullet penetrated the restaurant and wounded a Chicago tourist visiting for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival .

Interim New Orleans police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork told reporters Saturday that the shooting happened outside Mandina's Restaurant in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood. No suspects have yet been named.

Woodfork said police believe two assailants targeted the waiter, whom family members identified to The Times-Picayune of New Orleans as 23-year-old Hilbert Walker III.

A private security guard returned fire, Woodfork said, and was not injured. Diners told local news outlets that they dived to the floor seeking cover and that police didn't let them leave for more than an hour.

The 54-year-old Chicago woman was visiting for Jazz Fest and was at Mandina’s “to celebrate the birthday of a friend,” when she was shot, Woodfork said. She did not say what condition the tourist was in.

The shooting caused alarm in New Orleans, a city with an economy dependent on tourism. It came on the first day of the two-weekend Jazz Fest, one of the busiest tourist periods in the city.

Photos You Should See - April 2024

“This was an isolated incident that did not occur in the vicinity of the festival,” Woodfork said.

The restaurant announced it would be closed Saturday and Sunday.

The police department has about 150 to 180 officers providing security and directing traffic at the festival, Woodfork said. It's held at the Fair Grounds Race Course, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the restaurant.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell sent her condolences to the victims in a statement.

“A celebratory day was later marred by another senseless act of violence,” she said.

Concerns about crime and poor city services recently drove a racially polarizing effort to recall Cantrell, a Black Democrat who is the first woman to lead the city. That effort failed in March after organizers fell far short of the number of signatures required to force a recall election.

Copyright 2023 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Officials identify 75-year-old tourist beaten to death at new orleans hotel.

NEW ORLEANS - A 75-year-old man from Missouri visiting New Orleans with his family was beaten to death in a hotel late Thursday night.

WWL-TV reports New Orleans police were called out to the Avenue Plaza Hotel on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans just before 11 p.m. Officers arrived to find the unresponsive tourist in a hotel room with apparent head trauma.

The man, later identified by the coroner as David Sorenson, was taken to a hospital but did not survive the attack, the news outlet reported. Police believe he was physically beaten to death with fists rather than a weapon.

Officers then located the suspect, 29-year-old Martin Furtado, in the room's bathroom. Furtado was not staying in that room or in the hotel. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was booked on a $350,000 bond, according to WWL-TV.

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Sorenson was from Missouri, and he was visiting New Orleans with his family.

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Employee dead, tourist injured in shooting at New Orleans restaurant

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - Police say a restaurant employee was killed and a tourist was injured after a shooting in front of a popular New Orleans restaurant on the opening day of Jazz Fest.

The shooting happened Friday night outside of the popular restaurant Mandina’s, a New Orleans staple for 90 years, WVUE reports . Police say they received reports of a shooting around 8:20 p.m. and confirmed it 10 minutes later.

According to police, a 23-year-old man was outside of the restaurant when he was fatally struck by gunfire. Witnesses say the victim was a Mandina’s employee.

At least one bullet was fired through the front of the store, striking a woman who was dining inside. Officials say the woman, from Chicago, was in town for Jazz Fest and celebrating a friend’s birthday at Mandina’s. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

New Orleans Police Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork said in a press conference Saturday that the male victim was the intended target of the shooting.

An armed security guard routinely stationed at the restaurant returned fire, Woodfork said. It is unclear if any of the suspected gunmen were wounded.

“My deepest condolences go out to the victims of this terrible crime and their loved ones,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell in a statement. “The people of New Orleans stand united in their rejection of the gun violence plaguing our nation and our community. We need stronger gun laws and penalties, as well as accountability across all public safety agencies, if we’re ever going to end this crisis.”

The restaurant was closed Saturday. The owners said they planned to reopen next week.

No arrest warrants have been issued at this time.

Copyright 2023 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Waiter Killed and Tourist Wounded in Shooting Outside Well-Known New Orleans Restaurant

The waiter was believed to be the target of the attack, which happened during the city's annual jazz fest., by the associated press • published may 1, 2023 • updated on may 1, 2023 at 11:22 am.

A shooting outside a well-known New Orleans restaurant Friday killed an employee, and one bullet penetrated the restaurant and wounded a Chicago tourist visiting for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Interim New Orleans police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork told reporters Saturday that the shooting happened outside Mandina's Restaurant in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood. No suspects have yet been named.

Watch NBC Chicago local news and weather for free 24/7

Woodfork said police believe two assailants targeted the waiter, whom family members identified to The Times-Picayune of New Orleans as 23-year-old Hilbert Walker III.

A private security guard returned fire, Woodfork said, and was not injured. Diners told local news outlets that they dived to the floor seeking cover and that police didn't let them leave for more than an hour.

Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.

The 54-year-old Chicago woman was visiting for Jazz Fest and was at Mandina’s “to celebrate the birthday of a friend,” when she was shot, Woodfork said. She did not say what condition the tourist was in.

The shooting caused alarm in New Orleans, a city with an economy dependent on tourism. It came on the first day of the two-weekend Jazz Fest, one of the busiest tourist periods in the city.

“This was an isolated incident that did not occur in the vicinity of the festival,” Woodfork said.

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The restaurant announced it would be closed Saturday and Sunday.

The police department has about 150 to 180 officers providing security and directing traffic at the festival, Woodfork said. It's held at the Fair Grounds Race Course, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the restaurant.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell sent her condolences to the victims in a statement.

“A celebratory day was later marred by another senseless act of violence,” she said.

Concerns about crime and poor city services recently drove a racially polarizing effort to recall Cantrell, a Black Democrat who is the first woman to lead the city. That effort failed in March after organizers fell far short of the number of signatures required to force a recall election.

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New Orleans shooting that killed 1, injured 11 renews calls for changes to new concealed carry law

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A shooting outside a New Orleans nightclub that left one woman dead and 11 other people wounded prompted renewed calls Monday for changes to a pending Louisiana law allowing concealed carry of a handgun without a permit.

The shooting took place late Sunday in the city’s Warehouse District, an area of apartments, office buildings, restaurants and bars. Witnesses told local news outlets the gunfire sparked chaos as patrons of Republic NOLA fled. No arrests have been made.

City officials said at a Monday afternoon news conference about the shooting that statistics show violent crime and homicide rates are declining in the city. But the Republic NOLA shooting and last week’s killing of a security guard in a bar in another part of New Orleans have put violent crime back in the spotlight in the tourism-dependent city.

Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said at the news conference that legislators should exempt New Orleans from the no-permit-carry law, which takes effect July 4. Failing that, Kirkpatrick said, the city’s major entertainment areas, such as the French Quarter and Warehouse District, should be carved out of the law.

“It wasn’t thought through,” Kirkpatrick said of the law passed during a January special session and signed by the state’s new Republican governor, Jeff Landry.

Police and Democrats have said the law will increase danger by letting people untrained in firearms use carry concealed weapons. They also say it will make law enforcement more difficult by eliminating a possible cause for stopping and searching people suspected of carrying guns in crowds.

The new legislation makes Louisiana the 28th state with such a law. Republican state Sen. Blake Miguez, who sponsored the legislation and rejected calls for carveouts in January, has said the measure was needed to protect 2nd Amendment rights.

Miguez and other Republicans argued that criminals ignore gun requirements and that law-abiding citizens should be allowed to carry concealed weapons without a permit to protect themselves.

Associated Press reporter Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this story.

'This is not tolerated': 1 woman dead, 11 hurt in New Orleans mass shooting during festival

A woman is dead and 11 other people were injured in a mass shooting near New Orleans late Sunday night, police said.

The shooting took place just before midnight in the city's Warehouse District several blocks from the Mississippi River waterfront, a New Orleans Police Department spokesperson told USA TODAY.

The first call reporting the shooting came in at 11:56 p.m., the spokesperson said.

Arriving first responders took several people to local hospitals and one woman, police confirmed, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased victim," Superintendent of Police Anne Kirkpatrick said Monday during a news conference . "As well as those that were injured in this incident."

According to Kirkpatrick, five men and seven women, including the deceased victim, were struck during the shooting.

Kirkpatrick said due to police being in the preliminary stages of the investigation, she could not go into additional details regarding the shooting.

'Horrific': 7-year-old killed, several injured after shooting in Chicago, police say

Motive in Warehouse District shooting not immediately known

Police did not say whether any arrests have been made in connection to the shooting.

A motive for the attack was not immediately known.

"Public safety remains our top priority," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said during the news conference on Monday. "We're going to ensure that we bring justice. This is not tolerated in the city of New Orleans at all."

Shooting took place last night of French Quarter Festival

The attack occurred during the final night of the French Quarter Festival , a free four-day annual music festival held in early April in the city's historic French Quarter. 

The festival location is just over a mile and a half from where the shooting took place.

The case remained under investigation on Monday morning.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact New Orleans police or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

New Orleans shooting that killed 1, injured 11 renews calls for changes to new concealed carry law

A shooting outside a New Orleans nightclub over the weekend has prompted renewed calls from city officials for changes to a pending Louisiana law allowing people to carry concealed handguns without a permit

NEW ORLEANS -- A shooting outside a New Orleans nightclub that left one woman dead and 11 other people wounded prompted renewed calls Monday for changes to a pending Louisiana law allowing concealed carry of a handgun without a permit.

The shooting took place late Sunday in the city's Warehouse District, an area of apartments, office buildings, restaurants and bars. Witnesses told local news outlets the gunfire sparked chaos as patrons of Republic NOLA fled. No arrests have been made.

City officials said at a Monday afternoon news conference about the shooting that statistics show violent crime and homicide rates are declining in the city. But the Republic NOLA shooting and last week's killing of a security guard in a bar in another part of New Orleans have put violent crime back in the spotlight in the tourism-dependent city.

Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said at the news conference that legislators should exempt New Orleans from the no-permit-carry law, which takes effect July 4. Failing that, Kirkpatrick said, the city's major entertainment areas, such as the French Quarter and Warehouse District, should be carved out of the law.

“It wasn't thought through,” Kirkpatrick said of the law passed during a January special session and signed by the state's new Republican governor, Jeff Landry.

Police and Democrats have said the law will increase danger by letting people untrained in firearms use carry concealed weapons. They also say it will make law enforcement more difficult by eliminating a possible cause for stopping and searching people suspected of carrying guns in crowds.

The new legislation makes Louisiana the 28th state with such a law. Republican state Sen. Blake Miguez, who sponsored the legislation and rejected calls for carveouts in January, has said the measure was needed to protect 2nd Amendment rights.

Miguez and other Republicans argued that criminals ignore gun requirements and that law-abiding citizens should be allowed to carry concealed weapons without a permit to protect themselves.

Associated Press reporter Sara Cline in Baton Rouge , Louisiana, contributed to this story.

Related Topics

• New Orleans
• Gun Violence

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Mass shooting outside New Orleans nightclub leaves 1 dead, 11 injured

A mass shooting near a nightclub in New Orleans on Sunday night left one woman dead and 11 others injured, police and eyewitnesses said.

The incident took place shortly before midnight at the 800 block of South Peters Street in the city's Warehouse District, an address near the Republic NOLA nightclub, according to a press release from the New Orleans Police Department.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a woman who had been fatally shot lying on the sidewalk, the release said.

While the victims have yet to be identified, police say five men and six women were injured.

An eyewitness inside Republic NOLA described the chaos to NBC News affiliate WDSU in New Orleans .

"When I heard the shots I ran to the bathroom and grabbed a couple people who were with me and kinda got low," the witness recalled. "We stayed until it got settled but nobody knew what was next or if there would be more shots. There was a lot of panic and a lot of chaos."

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, whose district includes most of New Orleans, offered solace to the victims and called for tighter gun laws.

"Last night’s mass shooting in New Orleans is a tragedy. It is heartbreaking to see gun violence devastate our city, our neighbors, and our loved ones. My prayers are with the victims and their loved ones," Carter said on X . "We urgently need common-sense gun reform measures and violence reduction programs in our community; too many lives have been lost."

Investigators are looking into identifying any possible suspects, as well as a motive.

The NOPD encourages anyone with information to reach out to Crimestoppers at 822-1111, toll-free 1-877-903-STOP (7867).

Noah Osborne is a news associate with NBC News Digital.

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Live updates, mardi gras tourist killed in hotel parking lot crossfire.

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A Mardi Gras reveler visiting New Orleans from South Carolina died after being caught up in a crossfire between two cars in a hotel parking lot, his family and police sources said.

Brandon Bovain, a 33-year-old father who went to the Big Easy with his brother and girlfriend last week, was gunned down late Friday after checking into a hotel off Chef Menteur Highway, NOLA.com reported .

Bovain, of Orangeburg, was shot at least once when people from two separate cars suddenly opened fire in the hotel parking lot, where he ran back to grab his cellphone to finish checking in, according to the report.

“No one deserves to die that way,” one of Bovain’s brothers, James, told the outlet Tuesday. “He had nothing to do with the situation. Nobody expected it to be his last trip.”

New Orleans police had not identified the victim from Friday’s shooting as of Tuesday, but senior law enforcement sources and Bovain’s relatives confirmed he was the victim, NOLA.com reported.

The young father was one of two New Orleans tourists to be fatally shot within 24 hours after a 15-year-old girl, Heaven Nettles, of Houston, was killed by gunfire while waiting in a food truck line blocks away from a Mardi Gras parade. Two other men were also killed in that shooting, NOLA.com reported.

Both Bovain and Nettles were killed by stray gunfire, law enforcement sources told the outlet.

Bovain, who was employed as a furniture delivery worker, later died from his wounds at a hospital, his brother Anthony Brown said.

Bovain’s brothers said they were having a hard time dealing with the death of their sibling, who spent his entire life in South Carolina, and that no arrests had been made in his shooting death.

“To not have any resolution over what happened is, ultimately, the most disturbing part about it,” James Bovain said.

“Brandon was one of the happiest persons you could meet, and they took my heart away – man, they took my world away – for nothing,” Anthony Brown told NOLA.com.

A message seeking comment from New Orleans police was not immediately returned early Wednesday.

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Louisiana poised to expand permitless concealed carry; will New Orleans be exempt?

Louisiana lawmakers are poised to expand a new law allowing law-abiding adults to carry concealed guns without permits even before it takes effect and are resisting efforts to create more gun-free zones, including within the tourist district of New Orleans.

The Legislature passed and new Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill by GOP New Iberia Sen. Blake Miguez to allow permitless concealed carry beginning on July 4 during a February Special Session designed to address the state's crime problem.

Now lawmakers are advancing bills by Miguez that would allow permitless carry in restaurants that serve alcohol (Senate Bill 214) and make businesses subject to a $1,000 fine if they deny entry to an off-duty police officer carrying a concealed gun (Senate Bill 233).

Miguez said his bills, which now head to the full House for debate, largely will provide consistency to protect law-abiding citizens.

"We want to make sure law-abiding citizens who are good guys know what law is in every part of the state to avoid confusion," he said while testifying on his bills in the House Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday.

All of the bills have already cleared the full Senate.

The House Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday also advanced Senate Bill 43 by Republican Covington Sen. Patrick McMath to allow retired reserve law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons at any public place in the state. Current law only allows retired regular full-time law enforcement officers the privilege.

Meanwhile, the same committee stalled House Bill 498 by Democratic New Orleans Rep. Alonzo Knox to create a gun-free zone for the tourist district in New Orleans and killed House Bill 750 by Democratic New Orleans Rep. Aimee Freeman to create gun-free zones at childcare centers and nursing homes.

Knox agreed to defer his bill to allow him to try to make changes that would give the measure a chance of passage.

New Orleans City Council Vice President Helena Moreno and members if the city police department and parish sheriff's office testified in favor of the gun-free zone that would include the French Quarter, Convention Center and Downtown Development District.

"This is really about supporting the New Orleans Police Department ... and try to prevent any incidents that could result in mass casualties," Moreno said.

Knox played emotional news video footage of a family grieving the loss of their daugher in a Sunday shooting in New Orleans that left the daugher dead and 11 wounded.

But those opposing the bill said gun-free zones don't stop criminals from carrying guns or using them for violence.

"This would become a zone where law-abiding citizens would be completely defenseless," said Dan Zelenka of the Louisiana Shooting Association. "I can't see anything about this bill that is good for law-abiding citizens."

More: What will Louisiana's concealed carry gun expansion mean for law-abiding adults, criminals?

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1

1 killed, 11 hurt in mass shooting near New Orleans nightclub

T he New Orleans Police Department is investigating a mass shooting that happened outside a nightclub in the Warehouse District Sunday night.

The shooting killed one woman and injured 11 others just before midnight.

Family confirmed that Jezreel Poleate, 24 was shot and killed during the shooting.

Those injured included six women and five men, according to police.

The shooting happened in the 800 block of South Peters Street outside the nightclub Republic NOLA.

At the time of the shooting, an event called Church on Sundaze was taking place inside the club, according to an Instagram story posted seven hours ago on the Church on Sundaze page.

A witness inside the club at the time of the shooting described a chaotic scene when shots rang out.

"When I heard the shots, I ran to the bathroom and grabbed a couple people who were with me and kind of got low," the witness said. "We stayed until it got settled, but nobody knew what was next or if there would be more shots. There was a lot of panic and a lot of chaos."

There are several security cameras in the area where the shooting took place.

This shooting comes just one week after a security guard was shot and killed outside of Wit's Inn, another New Orleans bar.

Councilman Joe Giarrusso and Council President Helena Moreno called for the New Orleans Police Department to use the padlock ordinance , which would revoke the bar's liquor license and potentially shut the business down.

The owner of the bar spoke exclusively with New Orleans sister station WDSU. He told the TV station that his bar had never had an incident prior to the shooting, and that the suspect sought in that incident was not a patron. He said he would work with city leaders on a solution, but as the only Black-owned bar owner in that block, he asked for fairness when it comes to using the ordinance.

NOPD said the Wit's Inn's incident did not meet the standards for the padlock ordinance. The city said no incidents had happened at the bar that would warrant the use of the padlock ordinance.

WDSU asked Councilwoman Lesli Harris if she would seek the padlock ordinance for Republic NOLA. She issued the following statement:

“My office has been in touch with NOPD, and a full investigation into last night's shooting at Republic is underway. According to NOPD’s reports, 11 people were injured and there was one fatality. This marks a tragic ending to one of our city’s most celebratory weekends. I extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ families on this somber day," Harris said in an issued statement.

WDSU also reached out to Council President Helena Moreno to see if she would call for the padlock ordinance against the club. She issued the following statement:

“Last night’s mass shooting is incredibly tragic, and I have grave concern that we may see situations like this increase when the state’s concealed carry law goes into effect. This law will make it even more difficult for NOPD to takes guns off our streets in New Orleans and prevent shootings. I hope that legislation by Rep. Alonzo Knox (D) or Sen. Kirk Talbot (R) is approved so at least New Orleans will have some carve-out protections to ensure firearm enforcement in high-traffic areas. These two legislators demonstrate that there is bipartisan support for common-sense regulations. The victims of this shooting are in my prayers, and I have been in contact with Chief Kirkpatrick to ensure the perpetrator is swiftly arrested.”

WDSU also reached out to the city's Permits and Licensing Department to see if there had been any citations or violations at the club in the last year. They issued the following statement:

"The Department of Safety and Permits can confirm, the Republic NOLA, was previously flagged for late renewal in 2019. Then in 2022 the establishment was cited for Phase 2 COVID violations. In recent, There haven’t been any complaints against at Republic NOLA located at 828 N. Peters St."

"The Department of Code Enforcement can confirm a 2023 flag back in 2023 was filed after a 311 complaint sighted significant graffiti on the Fulton Street side of the building. The Department of Code Enforcement has zero reported and no incidents of code violations for the following: Republic NOLA, 828 S. Peters St. New Orleans, LA 70130."

WDSU reached out to the NOPD to see if any other shooting incident had been reported in that block in the past year.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued the following statement regarding the shooting:

"Sharon and I are praying for the victims and their families in this tragedy. We appreciate the first responders for their hard work. This type of violence has no place in our State," Landry said.

Congressman Troy Carter also issued a statement regarding the shooting:

"Last night’s mass shooting in New Orleans is a tragedy. It is heartbreaking to see gun violence devastate our city, our neighbors, and our loved ones. My prayers are with the victims and their loved ones. We urgently need common-sense gun reform measures and violence reduction programs in our community; too many lives have been lost. I will not stop fighting for change so that we can feel safe in the city we love."

READ MORE: 1 killed, 11 hurt in mass shooting near New Orleans nightclub

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