Triple shooting leaves grandmother dead outside New Orleans high school graduation

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A grandmother was killed and two men injured in a shooting Tuesday outside a high school graduation ceremony that had just concluded at Xavier University, New Orleans police said.

Family members identified the woman that died as the result of the crossfire as 80-year-old Augustine Greenwood.

New Orleans Police Deputy Supt. Christopher Goodly did not disclose the age of the two wounded males, but said their injuries were to the leg and shoulder, respectively, and not considered life-threatening.

Goodly told WVUE at least three people have been detained for questioning, but no arrests had been made as of 1:10 p.m.

Goodly described the incident as a “senseless act of violence” that began with an argument between two females whose ages were not disclosed. Their argument in the parking lot rapidly escalated until guns were drawn and shots fired, he said.

The 80-year-old struck was believed to be an innocent bystander.

The shooting occurred in a parking lot outside Convocation Center, used as the venue for numerous high school graduation ceremonies each spring. Witnesses told Fox 8 anywhere from five to 12 gunshots rang out.

Goodly said investigators were working to determine how many people fired weapons, who they were, and whether they were students, friends or relatives of graduates. He asked that anyone with information on the shooting to contact the NOPD or Crimestoppers.

“Nobody has been arrested for this crime, at this point,” Goodly said.

This was at least the second high school graduation staged at Xavier to be marred by violence in the past 11 days. On May 20, a fight broke out during the Carver High graduation event, with witnesses capturing a wild fracas inside Convocation Center that involved attendees throwing punches and chairs.

The Carver High incident did not involve gunfire, but it happened the morning after three people were shot and a fourth injured at the May 19 graduation ceremony for Hammond High School at Southeastern Louisiana University on the Northshore.

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