Just after midnight on Wednesday, a late-night wait at a downtown bus stop turned violent when a person was shot in front of the New Orleans Main Library on Loyola Avenue. The gunfire rang out at about 12:40 a.m., and the victim, who police say is not affiliated with Tulane University, was taken to a local hospital. The shooter was gone before officers arrived, and detectives have opened an investigation. New Orleans police had not announced any arrests as of the latest reports.
What police say
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the New Orleans Police Department, the Tulane University Police Department and Louisiana State Police, responded to the scene, according to WDSU. Witnesses told officers the suspect was a Black man wearing black pants, a black hoodie, a backward ball cap and a dark face mask. Police say he took off before they arrived, and that the NOPD is leading the case. Detectives have not publicly identified the suspected shooter or released the victim's condition.
Local context
The stretch of Loyola Avenue by the Main Library is a busy transit hub in the heart of downtown, and it has shown up before in campus and city safety logs, according to the Tulane University Police Department. Tulane keeps a daily crime and fire log that notes referrals to the NOPD along with other reports from the downtown area. The university's public safety pages list different contact numbers for TUPD's downtown and uptown stations and note that incidents off campus are generally handled by the NOPD.
How to help
Detectives have asked anyone who was nearby or who has photos or video from the area to get in touch with investigators. The bulletin lists TUPD's tip line at 504-865-5381 and the NOPD non-emergency number at 504-821-2222, as reported by WDSU. Police say they are using witness descriptions to build leads and will review any available surveillance footage from around the bus stop and library. Officials are urging people who may have evidence to share it directly with law enforcement instead of posting it online. The NOPD investigation remains active.
Library location
The New Orleans Main Library sits at the corner of Tulane and Loyola avenues, directly across from Duncan Plaza. The library's website provides details on the downtown branch and its services. The building doubles as a daytime hub for riders and pedestrians in the Central Business District. As of the initial reports, officials had not announced any changes to the library's hours or operations following the shooting.
