Another crowded weekend on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans and another shooting.
Saturday night, two bystanders were shot after an argument between two individuals escalated. We can all be happy that neither of the bystanders suffered life-threatening injuries, but often the difference between an injury and death is separated by a mere fraction of an inch. Don’t pass off a gunshot injury as not serious because every gunshot wound could easily have been a fatality.
The shooting occurred in the 300 block of Bourbon Street, which is the block with the Royal Sonesta hotel and is considered a very safe area of the French Quarter. NOPD has a photo of the two individuals believed to have been involved in the argument and subsequent shooting; but, as of the writing of this blog, police did not have any significant leads and are asking the public to help identify the two males in the photo. Anyone with information is urged to call the NOPD 8th District at 504-658-6080 or CrimeStoppers at 504-822-1111.
As attitudes toward the pandemic have loosened and confidence from the distribution of the vaccines grows, crowds in the French Quarter have reached pre-pandemic levels. The crowds on Bourbon Street are a mixture of locals and tourists, and young people dominate the roving street population.
Bourbon Street will always be a popular destination for locals and tourists, but the fear of crime is always a potential threat to attracting people. On famous Beale Street in downtown Memphis, TN, a gun checkpoint was established a few years ago. Would that work for Bourbon Street?
In 2017, WWL-TV anchor/reporter Thanh Truong traveled to Beale Street in Memphis after a gun checkpoint proposal for Bourbon Street was under consideration.
In the summer of 2016, the Memphis Police Department and the Beale Street Merchants Association put the gun checkpoint into effect. It is believed that the checkpoints made Beale Street safer. The checkpoint plan included additional police officers on the scene, and a $10 fee was originally proposed for entering Beale Street before being lowered to $5.
The purpose of the fee was to weed out those who were heading to Beale Street just to hang out with no intent on contributing to the economy along the famous street. Criticism centered on the possible violation to our rights and freedoms. The charge was only enforced during limited hours and only during warmer weather or special events.
Physical barriers were set up to separate car traffic with foot traffic on the street, and additional security cameras were installed. The ultimate goal was crowd control. But would checkpoints work on Bourbon Street?
The popular nightlife along Bourbon Street extends for about 10 blocks - the action on Beale Streets is confined to only 3 blocks. And then there is the cost, which was estimated to be $40-million in 2017.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that checkpoints can violate the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, since police are stopping individuals without probable cause. However, if police adhere to strict protocols then checkpoints can be constitutional.
As valid as the idea of checking everyone entering Bourbon Street for gun possession, it doesn’t seem like that is a feasible plan; and the city of New Orleans does not have the money to fund such a plan.
No one should need a gun if they are going to Bourbon Street, but the freedom to legally possess a gun is protected by the Second Amendment. There are restrictions on possessing a firearm in certain situations, but Louisiana is an open carry state.
The problem with guns on Bourbon Street doesn’t come from the responsible gun owners - the problem comes from those irresponsible individuals. It also seems obvious that many of the irresponsible individuals who would resort to using a gun to settle an argument wouldn't know how to use one properly.
The problem isn’t the gun - the problem is the person who feels the need to use a gun to settle an argument or conflict. If the bad people shot the bad people then we don’t have the problem we have now - innocent people getting shot because the bad people who don’t know how to use those guns.
I see countless people on Bourbon Street who are just hanging out in and along the street. Many bring their own booze and never contribute to the street’s economy. Charging a fee to enter Bourbon would eliminate that crowd, but it would also contradict the free spirit of arguable America’s most famous street.
