NOPD: 3 killed, 1 injured in "horrific" shooting involving children in Gentilly

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Three people are dead and one person was injured Friday morning in a quadruple shooting in Gentilly.

Initial New Orleans Police Department reports indicate the shootings happened in the 4200 block of Touro Street.

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The victims of the shooting are listed as two dead males and one dead female. Another female was described as being in critical condition.

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While Harrison would not confirm the identities of the victims, he alluded to the possibility that children were somehow involved in the incident.

“It's horrific man. this is horrible,” Harrison said. “It breaks everybody's heart. Every murder breaks our heart but to find that children were involved. Multiple people were involved.”

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While police investigated the shooting, an older couple arrived, who was later identified as the maternal grandparents of the children who lived at the home, according to a report from Nola.com | The Times-Picayune.

The woman collapsed on the ground. The man was overheard telling officers, "Those were my only grandchildren," according to the report.

Witnesses later heard the man say, "Gonna kill innocent f---ing children."

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About 9 a.m., an Orleans Parish coroner's van backed up near the home's front steps. Officers and detectives formed a human wall to block the view of body bags -- three of them -- being carried from the home in roughly 20-minute intervals.

A bystander gasped as the second bag, smaller and clearly lighter than the first, emerged from inside the home. "That's a child," she said aloud. "Oh God!"

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A longtime resident who did not want her named used said the family who lived in the home moved in a year or two ago. She said she used to see the man, woman and two children in the yard a lot, having barbecues and playing with their two dogs. She said the two boys were maybe 7 or 8 and 12.

About seven or eight months ago, the adults appeared to vanish, she said. The grass wasn't being cut and she thought the family had moved out. But then she saw lights from a TV flashing.

She and other neighbors said the only time they saw the children recently was when the boys were getting on and off the school bus.

Other neighbors said they didn't know the family personally.

"It's sad," said one neighbor who didn't want his name used. "The family seemed like they were real peaceful. The children seemed happy. But it's just New Orleans. You never know."

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