New Orleans shooting suspect arrested
NEW ORLEANS -- One of two men suspected in a New Orleans shootout that left one person dead and nine others wounded in the French Quarter tourist district has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge, authorities said Friday.
Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said Jordan Clay, 20, of Lafayette, was taken into custody late Thursday night and was being held in that area of south-central Louisiana. It wasn’t immediately known if Clay had a lawyer.
The second suspect still hasn’t been identified and is being sought.
“We are working aggressively to identify the second suspect in the shooting.” Harrison said. “We will not be stopped.”
The superintendent said Clay and the other suspect are both from the Lafayette area and investigators believe they had an ongoing dispute that led to gunfire.
“They just happened to run into one another early Sunday morning on Bourbon Street,” Harrison said. “Both pulled out guns and started firing at one another.”
Killed in the crossfire was Demontris Toliver, 25, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The surviving victims included seven men and two women, ranging in age from 20 to 37. Police said none of the wounded had life-threatening injuries.
Harrison didn’t release further details about the arrested man, but said only that information gathered during the investigation led to Clay.
The French Quarter shooting erupted hours after Saturday’s annual Bayou Classic football between Southern University and Grambling State University - and the tourist district was bustling with visitors last weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Harrison said the shooting, which occurred about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, had nothing to do with the classic matchup. He also said that between 30 and 40 police officers and EMS crews were in the district then and responded quickly.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu praised that fast response Friday. Speaking at a news conference, he also said the shooters showed “a complete disregard for the lives of those around them.”
Toliver’s father Kim appeared at the news conference and held up pictures of his son. He asked “each and every one of y’all to keep us in your prayers,” saying that he has lost “a part of my life.”
Demontris Toliver was a tattoo artist and a New Orleans native.