A woman was shot at the intersection of Dwyer Road and Rickert Drive in the Plum Orchard neighborhood of New Orleans East on Saturday afternoon, and police have released no information about a suspect or motive. New Orleans EMS rushed her to the hospital after officers found her suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
Officers responded to the report of a shooting just before 4:40 p.m., according to WGNO, which reported the incident. Separately, WWL-TV confirmed officers found the woman shot at the scene near the same intersection. No further details on her condition, a possible suspect, or what led up to the shooting had been released as of Saturday evening.
A Neighborhood With a History of Gun Violence
Saturday's shooting is not an isolated incident along this stretch of New Orleans East. Late Monday night, Aug. 24, a woman was shot in the chest during an argument with her husband over a pending divorce in the 9000 block of Dwyer Road, according to earlier Hoodline reporting. And on July 8, a shooting in the 4700 block of Laine Avenue in Plum Orchard left a male victim dead; he was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Dwyer Road itself is central to how this area is policed. The NOPD's Seventh District, the city's largest police district by geographic size at roughly 133 square miles, operates out of a station located at 10101 Dwyer Road, per official department records. Plum Orchard is a residential pocket within that sprawling district, home to about 5,038 residents.
Citywide Crime Trends Offer a Mixed Picture
The Saturday shooting comes amid a year in which New Orleans had recorded 60 homicides by late September 2026.
Still, localized violence along corridors like Dwyer Road underscores that citywide progress does not always translate into calm on every block. New Orleans East makes up 65% of the city's total land area and roughly 20% of its population, based on the same Data Center figures, a vast footprint that can complicate policing even as overall numbers trend downward.
Potential Charges if a Suspect Is Identified
Should investigators identify a suspect, the case could carry serious statutory penalties depending on how it's charged. Aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon such as a firearm is punishable under Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:34 by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both, with a mandatory minimum of one year served without benefit of parole or probation, according to FindLaw. If prosecutors pursued a charge of attempted second-degree murder instead, Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:27 and § 14:30.1 mandate a prison sentence at hard labor of between 10 and 50 years without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
NOPD has not said whether either statute applies in this case, and no arrest has been announced. Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to come forward.
