A community meeting drew about 200 people last night to the same 7th Ward intersection where a second-line parade was attacked on Mother’s Day. Officials promised an aggressive investigation.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says the entire community must be involved in stemming violence.
“We are going to reclaim our community and we’re going to reclaim our children. And we are going to reclaim our neighborhoods and we are going to stop the violence first as we deal with all of the other issues.”
New Orleans police identified one of three suspects — 19-year-old Akein Scott, who was seen on video surveillance as seeming to shoot at the crowd.
Ten-year-old Jason McMaster ran from that gunfire.
But he says he’s no longer afraid.
“If you have a gun that means you’re scared. If you can’t fight with your hands that means you’re like a wus.”
Ed Buckner is president of the Original Big Seven Social Aid and Pleasure Club. He says his members as well as others in New Orleans have no intentions of canceling any second-lines.
“We are going to take our community back. We’re going to take this corner back. This corner belongs to the community, not to the hoods.”
He says the Mother’s Day second-line will parade again – sometime early next month.
