Fisherman moves gun in car, fatally shoots buddy in New Orleans East

The New Orleans Police Department reported a homicide near New Orleans East intersection of Bullard Avenue and Lakeland Court on Friday morning.

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The NOPD reports that a man was fatally shot – accidentally – as he and two other men were driving to a fishing spot near Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans East on Christmas Eve (Friday, Dec. 24).

Detectives say that 21-year-old Juwaine Ashford was with the victim and a third person in a car on Bullard Avenue, when Ashford tried to move a firearm that was in the vehicle.

According to an NOPD press release, Ashford "inadvertently discharged the weapon and the bullet struck the victim."

The victim was a 22-year-old man, who arrived at New Orleans East Hospital with a gunshot to the chest and later died there.

Then NOPD would not confirm whether or not Ashford drove the wounded victim to the hospital, but the NOPD has recovered both the gun and the vehicle in which the shooting occurred.

Ashford has been booked into the the Orleans Parish Justice Center and charged with one court of negligent homicide.

No additional details are available at this time. 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.