54,58,Dead Man Driving, etc

In yesterday's paper:

54 killing so far in 2008, which marks an improvement over the 59 murders committed during the same time period last year. Riley [Police Commissioner Riely] said the drop in murders coincides with an increased number of clearances by the NOPD's homicide squad.

A day too soon, we spoke, eh?

Today's list:
1) This is right over by old man Money's house. A good guy with a new rear wall that looks fabulous, if we do say so ourselves - In the 7th Ward, 1st District police found the body of Lorne Simms, 20, of New Orleans, lying on the sidewalk in the 1400 block of North Johnson Street, between Kerlerec and Columbus streets, about noon. Simms died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

2)Saturday, a man was shot dead in eastern New Orleans. The man, whose identity was withheld by police, died about 6:40 p.m. among a group of trailers or modular homes just north of Chef Menteur Highway near Downman Road. A man who said he was the victim's uncle said the victim was 18.

3)Close to where the SUV ran into the bar (see #1 below):
Shortly before 11 p.m., a man in his early 20s was fatally shot in the 2500 block of Upperline Street.

The Times-Picayune is putting the total at 58 for the year, although this blog will continue to maintain that there is no accurate gauge for discerning this information, at least not a gauge anyone over here can identify.

Backtrack to Friday:

1) Dead Man driving, according to a voice mail we received on Saturday afternoon, is a rare condition that has been experience 3 times already this year. We at NOMB can only attribute this to the recent rise in the "Ghost Riding" phenomenon so prevalent in the youtube Cadillac culture.

A motorist was shot to death Friday night and rammed his car into the entrance ramp of an Uptown bar popular with college student. The victim approached his girlfriend's home, a shooter or shooters jumped from a car where they were apparently waiting and fired into the car, striking the man at least twice. The wounded driver sped away, apparently attempting to escape. He managed to avoid two parked cars nearby, but spun and crashed into the bar's handicapped-access ramp,

2)Down the road:
Later Friday, there was another shooting in the Central City neighborhood. It occurred about 11 p.m. in the 2300 block of Seminole Lane, near the part of Jackson Avenue midway between South Claiborne Avenue and South Galvez Avenue. The victim was shot several times.

Random Acts:

1) Shooting: Banks Street Tuesday 11:32 PM
2) Shooting: 800 blk N. Claiborne April 10th, 12:21 AM
3) Stabbing: 3200 blk River Oaks Dr. April 10th, 6:53 PM

This has to be one of the more depressing posts we've made in a few weeks.