Annunciation | NOLA

I almost spit out my coffee as I read the article in the T-P about the assassination of Guy McEwen who recently testified, without identifying the suspect, in the Dinerral Shavers murder trial.

A spray of bullets from at least two guns Thursday evening killed a 20-year-old New Orleans man who narrowly escaped the shooting two years ago that left musician Dinerral Shavers dead.

It was the proximity of the shooting of McEwen that really got me, only a few blocks from where we live.

Guy McEwen, who turned 20 on Wednesday, was killed in the 700 block of Peniston Street, near the corner of Constance Street, shortly before 5 p.m., authorities said. His body lay in the gutter, next to the sidewalk.

The next day the T-P had a follow-up article "Death not linked to testimony" which it didn't seem to me it was.

NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley said his detectives have a suspect and believe the shooting emanates, at least in part, from the neighborhood feuds that also surrounded the teenagers in Shavers' shooting.

Great. A neighborhood feud. In my neighborhood.

What then caught my attention was the last few paragraphs:

McEwen's murder was the 54th killing so far in 2008, which marks an improvement over the 59 murders committed during the same time period last year. Riley said the drop in murders coincides with an increased number of clearances by the NOPD's homicide squad.

The squad's clearance rate is currently at 64 percent, compared to a national average of around 55 percent, he said.

I was outraged - first a drop of 5 murders seems insignificant. Second I thought "just wait, the way things have been going we'll be tied with last year in no time." Unfortunately I was right.

Sunday's paper:

N.O. slayings total six in three days.

Three men were shot to death in separate incidents Saturday in New Orleans, becoming the city's fourth, fifth and sixth slaying victims in three days.

The shootings brought the city's homicide total for the year to at least 58.

One of these murders was 3 blocks from my office:

A motorist was shot to death Friday night and rammed his car into the entrance ramp of an Uptown bar popular with college students, New Orleans police officers and a witness said.

No one in Friar Tuck's, at Freret and Dufossat streets, was injured in the 8:45 p.m. incident. (link)

Oh but wait, that's only 58 murders, we are still one less than last year. Hurrah.

What's my point? None really. Though I know I'm not the only who reads the paper, looking to see where the killing was, hoping it's not near where I live. It's scary and frustrating. And confusing... these kids, and many are just kids, have so little hope for their future, they feel they need to kill for "respect."

In today's paper, the T-P ran was this article: (link) (Hat Tip Cait)

36 shootings in one weekend rock Chicago. Nine Killed; gang violence suspected

Did they run this story to try and make us feel better? "Hey NO it's not just us. Look over here!" Or maybe that's for the benefit of the tourist in town for JazzFest.

Jazz Fest. My happy place. Thinking happy thoughts of JazzFest. OK, I think I can leave the house and go to work now...