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New Orleans has recorded at least its 209th murder for 2007. In 2006 there were a total 162 murders.

The latest murder occurred Saturday afternoon in Algiers.

Saturday, there were at least 3 shootings resulting in one murder. In a 24 hour period, there were at least 9 shootings which resulted in 3 deaths/murders in 4 different locations.

More murders may be added to the total number of murders depending on whether the surviving shooting victims live.

Pattern?

Two of the shooting victims don’t fit the pattern as described by the NOPD. Neither of the victims were young black men dealing drugs. Both victims were Hispanic, the murdered victim was 42 years old and they were renovating a house at the time of the incident.

On Friday, Mayor Ray Nagin was near one of the murder scenes when the shooting erupted. Nagin’s security detail whisked him away to safety. However, he was never in any danger because as the NOPD has stated only young, black, male, drug dealers are in danger of being murdered in the city. Despite being a youngish black male, it is assumed that Nagin does not deal drugs or at least not while his security detail from the NOPD is on duty.

Time for NOPD to come up with better rationale for its inability to address the chronic violent crime problem in New Orleans.

More as it happens. And it will.

C.B.