NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – An elderly woman was fatally shot and two men wounded Tuesday (May 31) when an argument escalated into gunfire in a Xavier University parking lot after a graduation ceremony for Morris Jeff High School, New Orleans police said.
The age and identity of the slain woman was not immediately disclosed, and NOPD Deputy Supt. Christopher Goodly said he could not confirm that she was the grandmother of a graduating student. Goodly also did not disclose the age of the two wounded males, but said their injuries were to the leg and shoulder, respectively, and not considered life-threatening.
Goodly said at least three people have been detained for questioning but no arrests had been made as of 1:10 p.m.
Goodly described the incident as a “senseless act of violence,” that began with an argument between two females whose ages were not disclosed. Their argument in the parking lot rapidly escalated until guns were drawn and shots fired, he said. The elderly woman struck was believed to be an innocent bystander.
“This unfortunate incident did not have to happen,” Goodly said.
The shooting occurred in a parking lot outside Convocation Center, used as the venue for numerous high school graduation ceremonies each spring. Witnesses told Fox 8 that anywhere from 5-12 gunshots rang out.
Goodly said investigators were working to determine how many people fired weapons, who they were, and whether they were students, friends or relatives of graduates. He asked that anyone with information on the shooting to contact the NOPD or Crimestoppers.
“Nobody has been arrested for this crime, at this point,” Goodly said.
This was at least the second high school graduation staged at Xavier to be marred by violence in the past 11 days. On May 20, a fight broke out during the Carver High graduation event, with witnesses capturing a wild fracas inside Convocation Center that involved attendees throwing punches and chairs.
“This graduation, they had a good amount of security,” Goodly said. “We had interior coverage as well as exterior coverage on the scene. Both the Xavier police, as well as the (NOPD) Second District and Tulane police on the perimeter security.”
The Carver High incident did not involve gunfire. But it happened the morning after three people were shot and a fourth injured at the May 19 graduation ceremony for Hammond High School at Southeastern Louisiana University on the Northshore.
Four people were wounded when gunfire broke out at a high school’s graduation on Southeastern Louisiana University’s campus Thursday, May 19.
This developing story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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