Video shows moments a man is killed on Mardi Gras after leaving New Orleans East gas station
By Shay O’Connor
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New Orleans (WDSU) — Right now, police are investigating several violent crimes that originated Mardi Gras weekend through Ash Wednesday.
Some of the crimes include shootings. WDSU Reporter Shay O’Connor spoke to crime analysts who said even with the uptick, crime is still substantially down across the board.
There were at least six shootings from last Friday to the morning of Ash Wednesday. Two of them resulted in death. O’Connor obtained surveillance video of one of the shootings that happened the evening of Mardi Gras. It resulted in the death of a man.
The video shows what appears to be words being exchanged before a man is seen hopping out of a car in the parking lot. He and another person who was inside the gas station began fighting. Others get involved before they are seen running and driving away.
Sometime later, a black Audi is seen on the scene. At least two men are spotted inside the station wearing ski masks, appearing to be looking for someone.
Witnesses said a bystander saw the men in masks and went back to his car to leave. The video showed the black Audi and another SUV who was on scene of the initial fight trying to surround the man’s vehicle. They begin to shoot at him. Police said the man’s vehicle stopped at I-10 just before the Crowder exit.
“It’s bad around here. It’s a shame. There should be more police officers riding around here,” said Ricky, who lives in New Orleans East.
The victim was identified as 31-year-old Wesley Stevenson, who died on scene.
Ricky said, “If you call the police, they will take two or three hours to come. I am so scared too. I need three locks on my door.”
That same day across town, the coroner confirmed 19-year-old Aidan Edsall was shot and killed along Monticello Avenue.
These two homicides are a part of at least six shootings over six days. Including another shooting in the 800 block of Canal Street in which a man was hurt.
Rafael Goyeneche with the Metropolitan Crime Commission said, “In 2023, in the months of January and February, there were 50. In 2024 it was down to 30. This year 25, we have had a total of 23.”
Those figures include the 14 victims killed in the Bourbon Street terrorist attack.
In February, Goyeneche said the city had two homicides, a low figure that has not been seen since at least 2019.
Goyeneche said the weekend leading to Mardi Gras last year also had higher crime stats than this year. WDSU is waiting on these figures to report.
Goyeneche attributes the overall reduction in crime to the presence of more police since the Bourbon Street attack. The two homicides are still under investigation.
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