UPDATE: 2:00pm New Orleans, Louisiana
NOPD Interim Chief Superintendent Michelle Woodfork took to the microphone today to assuage fears about potential violence from last night spilling over into the Jazz Fest or across the city.
The Chief was certain in her delivery about the mid-evening shooting at Mandina’s Restaurant on Canal Street.
The 92-year-old staple was the scene of an ambush killing of a 22-year-old employee, identified by his father as Hilbert Walker III. A 54-year-old female patron of the restaurant was also hit by gunfire.
“Since the incident unfortunately occurred on the opening day of Jazz Fest at this popular well-known restaurant in the city,” Woodfork said. “We wanted to ensure the public and our tourists, that this was an isolated incident that did not occur in the vicinity of the festival.”
Two men in car parked near the restaurant and that they got out of the car and began shooting at a person walking in front of the establishment.
Restaurant owner Cindy Mandina told WWL-TV, "Over 90 years of service on Canal Street, we've never had such a sad, senseless event take place."
During her announcement to the media, Chief Woodfork an armed security guard at the restaurant responded to the incident.
“There was an armed security guard, as there always is at Mandina’s and he did return fire at these individuals who got out [of the car and opened fire].”
UPDATE: 11:00am New Orleans, Louisiana: New Orleans Police Saturday told us the Mandina's employee who was shot dead outside the 90-year-old eatery was a 22-year-old man. NOPD says the patron struck by a stray bullet inside the restaurant is a 54-year-old woman.
A man was fatally ambushed outside Mandina's Restaurant on Canal St. Friday night, and a woman inside the restaurant was injured by the gunfire.
New Orleans Police confirm one fatality on the scene.
A witness tells WWL First News he was waiting for a table at the Mid-City restaurant a little before 8:30 when a car pulled up, two people got out, and ran up and opened fire on a man walking nearby.
"Just opened fire on a guy that was walking that way," the witness said. "I means several shots, 'BRRRT!' Machine gun stuff, not semi-automatic."
A woman in the area said she heard the same kind of rapid-fire. She also said she thinks a woman inside the restaurant was hit.
"So the one guy, right here, it looks like he's left us, and a lady on the inside was hit, that was a customer," she said.
New Orleans Police say EMS took the injured woman to the hospital, where she is listed in stable condition.