New Orleans boy’s fatal shooting probed

NEW ORLEANS — An 8-year-old was killed by a bullet that passed through the wall of his family’s New Orleans home Wednesday, authorities said.

Police responded to a call of a child shot shortly after 11 a.m. at a fourplex in the Central City neighborhood. Authorities were unsure if the bullet came from outside or from one of the other apartments.

The child was hit in the abdomen and taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police confirmed.

Witnesses told investigators a bullet pierced a wall of the home where the victim and three of his siblings lived. Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said investigators were processing the scene and piecing together what occurred but there were still many unanswered questions. He said investigators don’t know whether the shooting was intentional.

“This family is going to need the community’s help. This community needs our help. This is just so untimely given the holiday season,” Ferguson said.