New Orleans Police Shootout Leaves 5 Innocent Bystanders Injured

Multiple bystanders took gunfire during a shootout between police and an armed robbery person of interest in New Orleans Sunday night.

New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson confirmed to Nola.com that a total of five innocent bystanders were hit during the shootout at a bus stop downtown, including one person who’s still in critical condition. Shooting is alleged to have began while police were attempting to “engage for questioning’ a person of interest in an armed robbery that went down last week.

After being approached by two officers at the Canal and Elk bus stop Sunday evening, the unidentified person allegedly opened fire and was met with responding shots from the officers.

Shooting continued toward Tulane Avenue, at which point a Louisiana State Police officer happened upon the suspect and exchanged gunfire. The suspect was hit and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Of the innocent bystanders shot at the Canal and Elk bus stop, an EMS spokesperson said one was believed to be 17 years old. Police, however, have described all five injured bystanders as adults. A separate CNN report clarifies that a bus was at the stop at the time of the shootout, though no on-bus injuries were reported. Authorities say they have not yet determined whether the bystanders were struck by police gunfire or the suspect’s.

Another officer was en route to the scene of the shooting when he reportedly lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree. When the vehicle caught fire, witnesses are said to have helped the officer—who survived the crash—from the vehicle.