Just four days after two suspects opened fire at each other in the 100 block of Bourbon Street, police identified and arrested Jordan Clay (DOB: 3-13-1996) for his involvement in the incident.
At a news conference today (Dec. 2), NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said Homicide Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Second Degree Murder for Clay Thursday night (Dec. 1). Acting on information gathered in the investigation, Louisiana State Police (LSP) located Clay at a home in Breaux Bridge where he was detained without incident. Clay will be extradited to New Orleans to face the charges.
At the scene of the shooting Sunday morning, Chief Harrison made a commitment that the NOPD would conduct a thorough investigation into what happened, track down the suspects responsible and hold them accountable for their actions. Detectives have worked around the clock since then. They’ve collected and analyzed multiple angles of surveillance video in and around the area. They’ve interviewed victims and a number of witnesses from the scene. And as detectives gathered additional evidence, the NOPD expanded its reach and resources on the ground by partnering with regional, state and federal partners, including the Lafayette Police Department, LSP, FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the ATF.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives were able to identify the suspects as two men from the Lafayette area who were in town for the weekend festivities. One of the suspects is believed to be 20-year-old Jordan Clay.
Detectives believe that Clay and the remaining suspect knew each other, had been involved in an on-going dispute that started outside of the New Orleans area, and met again on Bourbon Street that morning.
The encounter turned violent and a shootout followed that injured a total of 10 victims. One of those victims, 25-year-old Demontris Toliver, died from his injuries. At the news conference, his father Kim said he was thankful for the quick arrest.
"I just thank the police department, the mayor and the city," he said. "They got justice for me and my family."
Detectives are still working aggressively to identify and locate the second suspect involved. Anyone who has any information about either suspect or the incident is urged to call the NOPD Homicide Division at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
Chief Harrison says the investigation is on-going.
“We have a lot of work left to do on this investigation and we will not be deterred,” Harrison said. “Together we will continue to work aggressively and relentlessly to bring everyone responsible in this incident to justice.”
'Everything is on the table' for securing the city
In addition to public safety improvements already made in the French Quarter and throughout New Orleans, Mayor Landrieu said 'all options are on the table' to secure the city.
"This is not just a New Orleans problem, this is a systemic problem in the country and throughout the state of Louisiana," said Landrieu. "This requires a robust response and I am committed to making sure this gets done."
After the news conference, Mayor Landrieu started a series of meetings today with law enforcement, elected officials, business and community leaders to determine what more everyone can do together to increase safety throughout the city.