Drive-By

A friend of mine posted the following on our neighborhood discussion group:

I was working at my other house I am renovating tonight around 8:50 pm. Rendon/Conti St. Heard four/five shots fired. Looked out the back door as the shooter sped off. Shortly after I heard the cries across the street and realized someone was shot. It seems a baby was shot in the arm instead of whoever they meant to shoot. That puts me within 200′ of two drive by’s within two nights. Real scary. I heard they know who did it so I guess that means at least another drive by the next couple of nights. Street justice they call it. What a shame.

This happened about three blocks from us.

Here’s the story from the Times-Picayune:

2-year-old girl shot in Mid-City

By Leslie Williams, The Times-Picayune
Thursday August 07, 2008, 10:29 PM

A 2-year old girl was shot in the arm shortly before 9 p.m. in Mid-City, according to police and neighbors.

She was taken to a local hospital, said Officer Shereese Harper, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans Police Department. Her condition was not immediately available.

The shooting occurred at 315 N. Rendon St., a pink double not far from the intersection of Bienville and N. Rendon streets, police said.

“I heard about four or five shots,” said a neighbor, who asked not to be identified. “When I came outside, I saw a two-door silver car speed by.”

The neighbor said he later pointed out two cartridges on the asphalt in the 300 block of North Rendon to police who arrived at the scene.

A woman started crying and yelling once she realized the child was injured, neighbors said.

Harper said police are trying to determine the motive for the shooting and identify suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers, which is offering a reward of as much as $2,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case. The telephone number is 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 1.877.903.7867.

Leslie Williams can be reached at lwilliams@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3358.

Stuff like this scares me.

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Later that evening we took a stroll up Bienville to get some beer at Liuzza’s. We ran into camera crews and a cop handing out flyers for Crimestoppers and there was the family on the corner of Rendon. We even got to meet the little girl, who had her arm in a sling. She was doped up and sleepy but seems to be doing all right.

Frank read this post and told me I shouldn’t be scared — I should be angry. For the record, I am angry too, but I hardly know what to do about it.

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Saturday’s paper carried the following story:

Gunman still on the loose after shooting 2-year-old girl
Child was hit while in back seat of car
Saturday, August 09, 2008
By Leslie Williams

A 2-year-old girl was recovering from a gunshot wound to her arm Friday after being shot Thursday night in Mid-City.

The toddler was sitting in the back seat of a car driven by her mother when a gunman opened fire at about 9 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of North Rendon Street, near the corner of Bienville Street, New Orleans police said.

Police Officer Shereese Harper said the gunman and the boyfriend of the toddler’s mother had been in an earlier altercation and that the boyfriend was the target. The boyfriend wasn’t in the car, Harper said. Police did not release the suspect’s identity.

“I heard about four or five shots,” said a neighbor, who asked not to be identified. “When I came outside, I saw a two-door silver car speed by.”

The neighbor said he later saw two cartridges on the asphalt in the street. A woman started crying and yelling once she realized the child was injured, neighbors said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers, which is offering a reward of as much as $2,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case. The telephone number is 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 1.877.903.7867.

. . . . . . .

Staff writer Brendan McCarthy contributed to this report.Leslie Williams can be reached at lwilliams@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3358.

Here’s an excerpt from the 1st District Crime Activity Report for August 2nd-8th, 2008, reproduced verbatim:

Date/Time: August 07,2008

Type: Agg.Battery 8:43pm

Location: 300 N. Rendon St

Gist: On the date mentioned the victim exited her veh. In the 300 blk. Of N.rendon st when a silver colored veh. Occupied by three unk B/Ms approached on foot an began shooting at her veh. Striking a 2 year old sitting in the back seat

Description: Silver colored unk. Make or model veh unk. Black males