A heartbreaking scene unfolded early Wednesday morning after a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man were found dead following an apparent murder-suicide in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans.
The New Orleans Police Department said officers responded to reports of gunfire shortly before 8 a.m. in the 1800 block of Jo Ann Place. When officers arrived, they discovered both victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The teenage girl was pronounced dead at the scene, while the man was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Witnesses told FOX 8 that the man had been seen “stalking around” the victim’s home before the shooting. One neighbor said the girl had just left her house with her sister to head to school when the suspect confronted them with a gun. The witness said she screamed for the girl’s sister to run for safety, but moments later, gunfire erupted.
“She was such a sweet kid,” a neighbor said, visibly shaken. “It’s just unimaginable — she had her whole life ahead of her.”
Police believe the man shot the teenager before turning the weapon on himself. Investigators are still working to determine the nature of their relationship and what led to the deadly confrontation.
Authorities confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the community but described the case as a “deeply tragic and senseless act.”
The names of the victims have not yet been released as detectives continue their investigation