NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Divers have recovered a car from Bayou St. John that may be connected to the investigation of the killing of a Washington tourist, according to a source close to the investigation.
The New Orleans Police Department reported on Jan. 5 that someone was shot to death at the corner of Bourbon and Kelerec streets in the Marigny. The coroner identified the deceased as 32-year-old Jacob Carter.
A GoFundMe page revealed Carter and his husband, a pair of Tacoma, Washington business owners, were vacationing in New Orleans.
Police say at 1:32 a.m., a suspect approached Carter and shot him before fleeing. The source says the motive may have been robbery, but NOPD wouldn’t confirm that or if the car recovered from the bayou was a stolen vehicle used during the homicide.
Neighbors who live near the corner of Bourbon and Kerlerec streets say a fatal shooting happening just outside their front doors is disheartening.
Carter’s family arrived at the scene Tuesday afternoon, hoping to speak with neighbors.
“It’s awful that it happens to anybody,” said neighbor Ralph Maison. “Tourism is our number one industry, and if we don’t do something about crime, what’s going to happen to New Orleans and the French Quarter?”
Some say although they love their neighborhood, they’re not surprised.
“Yeah, I mean, it happens on Bourbon Street,” a neighbor said. “My son’s a bartender, and there’s certain routes he doesn’t take because tourists are targeted.”
An NOPD spokesperson said the investigation is active.
“It’s really a shame what happened, and you know, I feel really bad about it,” Maison said. “There’s nothing that can be done now except find the people who are responsible.”
This is a developing story.
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