A man was shot during an overnight burglary at his home in New Orleans East, and police are still searching for the two men responsible. The shooting happened on the 7500 block of Trapier Avenue, and the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.
According to Fox 8, two men shot the victim during the break-in before fleeing the scene. Police have not clarified whether the victim was shot inside his home or just outside it, and officials have not said whether he knew the two men. EMS took the victim to the hospital, though officials have not released information about his condition.
Charges Could Carry Decades Behind Bars
NOPD is investigating the crime as an aggravated burglary involving aggravated battery by shooting, according to police. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:60, aggravated burglary covers the unauthorized entry of an inhabited home with intent to commit a felony or theft while armed, arming oneself inside, or committing a battery, and it carries a mandatory sentence of one to 30 years at hard labor upon conviction, as detailed by Justia Law. Aggravated battery, meanwhile, is defined under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:34 as a battery committed with a dangerous weapon, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines as high as $5,000, per the Louisiana State Legislature.
NOPD is asking anyone with information to contact Seventh District detectives at 504-658-6070. Tipsters can also reach Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
A Neighborhood With a History of Police Activity
The 7500 block of Trapier Avenue has drawn police attention before. In June 2024, the same block was the site of a statewide Silver Alert after a 67-year-old resident went missing from his home before being located safely, according to WWL-TV. Hoodline also previously reported on a fatal shooting investigated by Seventh District detectives on the same street last year.
The Seventh District station leading this investigation, headquartered at 10101 Dwyer Road, covers roughly 133 square miles, the largest geographic footprint of any police district in New Orleans, according to the City of New Orleans. A multi-year analysis by the Metropolitan Crime Commission found that between 2016 and 2020, the Seventh District accounted for roughly 25% of all homicides and 27% of all non-fatal shootings reported citywide, underscoring how disproportionately New Orleans East has historically absorbed the city's gun violence.
Citywide Crime Drops, But New Orleans East Lags Behind
The shooting comes even as New Orleans has posted historic year-over-year declines in violent crime. The city recorded 121 criminal homicides in 2025, a drop of more than 50% from the 266 homicides reported in 2022 and the city's lowest annual murder total in over 50 years, according to PBS News. NOPD's own first-quarter 2026 data showed a 67% reduction in citywide homicide incidents over three years compared to 2023, though fatal shootings ticked up slightly to 20 incidents in the first quarter of 2026 compared to 12 during the same period in 2025.
Still, New Orleans East continues to see a concentrated share of violence even as the broader trend improves. For the week ending August 30, the Metropolitan Crime Commission reported that major violent crimes in Orleans Parish were down 18% year-to-date compared to 2025, yet four of the seven major violent incidents recorded that week occurred in New Orleans East. NOPD has continued distributing free gun locks at all district stations, including the Seventh District precinct on Dwyer Road, as part of an effort to keep firearms secured and out of the hands of burglars.
Those crime-prevention efforts come as the department continues to grapple with staffing shortfalls. As of early 2026, NOPD operated with approximately 900 sworn officers citywide, well below the civil and departmental target of 1,200 officers, a gap that has persisted despite recruitment pushes. No arrests have been announced in the Trapier Avenue shooting, and NOPD continues to seek information from the public.
