Rudy Ratliff Obituary, Death; – The New Orleans Police Department is currently conducting an investigation into a notable increase in gun violence that resulted in 13 individuals being shot across eight distinct incidents during the holiday weekend, with four of those incidents resulting in fatalities.
Among the deceased is 3-year-old Rudy Ratliff, whose family reports that he was visiting relatives in Central City when he was accidentally shot. According to his mother, Leshawn Ratliff, the family was engaged in a game of Uno at a friend’s residence when a firearm fell from the friend’s waistband and discharged, hitting Rudy. Despite her immediate efforts to transport him to the hospital, he did not survive. The family, who had traveled from Texas for the holiday, is heartbroken over this tragic loss.
In a separate series of incidents, three shootings occurred on Canal Street, injuring six individuals, all of whom survived. One victim entered the Marriott lobby seeking help for a gunshot wound, while another was shot nearby an hour later. Additionally, early Sunday morning, four more individuals were injured in a shooting close to Canal Street. In New Orleans East, two men were discovered shot and killed on Saturday afternoon in the West Lake Forest neighborhood, and another man was fatally shot on Sunday night in Milan on Louisiana Avenue.
These violent events transpired as tens of thousands of visitors gathered in downtown New Orleans for the Bayou Classic weekend. NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick is anticipated to provide further updates on the investigations on Monday, as detectives strive to hold those responsible accountable.
