New Orleans has enjoyed a dramatic decrease in shootings and homicides much of the year, but in the past five days, two incidents have reminded residents that violence is still a part of life.
The police chief says it actually picks up this time of year.
Even as murders were on the decline late last year, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says there were 20 homicides in November 2023.
"In the holiday season, actually, is when we see an uptick in violence. And here we are, moving in to the holiday season," she said.
Kirkpatrick told WWL's Newell Normand that it's not just in New Orleans, either -- she said this happens in cities around the U.S.
She said so far this year, there have been nine homicides in New Orleans for the month of November.
She also said the city's solve rate for homicides is on the rise, currently around 75 percent.
