In the wake of the December 30th shootings outside a Metairie apartment building that left two dead, police have made progress in hoping to catch the parties responsible. The shooting was a drug related crime, according to authorities, and took place outside the rooms of several different families and children. The apartment, located near I-10 in Metairie on the 2500 block of Pasadena Ave, has seen its share of crime in the last few months with many resulting in personal injury or fatal accidents.
On January 3 police booked 30 year old Garard “Herc” Achelles in connection with the shooting and are still searching the New Orleans area for two other men who are believed to be connected to the crime. The two men, Glenn “Ace” Lemon and Jason “Jay” Thomas, are being sought for two counts each of second-degree murder.
The shooting has been met with sympathy for the victims and outrage from the community, much like the needless shooting that took place outside a law firm in Covington several months before. While there were no counts of bystander personal injury or fatalities in the Covington shooting aside from the gunman, both of these incidents have shaken residents of the New Orleans area. While the police continue to search for the suspected men in connection with the Metairie shooting, residents continue to hope that it remains an isolated incident.