A 19-year-old man is in custody following a shooting on Saturday afternoon in New Orleans’ Pines Village neighborhood, which left a woman with a graze wound to the head. The shooting occurred in the 7200 block of Downman Road near Morrison Road, where police say two people approached a parked automobile. According to investigators, one woman used pepper spray on others inside the vehicle before shots were discharged. The injured woman was sent to a local hospital and is likely to recover.
WDSU reports that officers detained Rashad Bakewell, 19, in connection with the incident. According to police, Bakewell and a lady approached the parked car, with the woman pepper spraying the occupants moments before Bakewell opened fire. The woman who was with Bakewell has not been located, and the New Orleans Police Department said the investigation is ongoing.
The event adds to a long series of violent incidents on Downman Road and in the nearby Pines Village community, a section of New Orleans East where residents have often expressed concerns about safety. A recent local story highlighted an earlier afternoon gunshot on the same stretch of Downman, underscoring the area’s frequent gun violence: “Afternoon gunfire on Downman road.” City officials have stated that overall violent crime will decrease in 2025, even as concentrated pockets of gun violence continue to plague individual areas.
Police are requesting anybody with information on the incident to contact the New Orleans Police Department, while anonymous tips can be forwarded to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans. For more information about reporting anonymously, visit Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans. Authorities have yet to provide additional information on potential charges or an updated report on the victim’s condition.
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