The Orleans Parish DA’s refusal to prosecute 15 illegal gun possession cases from Mardi Gras has created an uproar. More from Brooke Thorington…:

CUT 02(31)      “…Thorington.”

Now a resident of Holden, in Livingston Parish, actor John Schneider is mourning the death of his wife, Alicia Allain Schneider, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer. The couple were married in 2019. They worked together on music and film projects at Schneider’s studio home in Livingston Parish.

A six-year-old was fatally shot around 8:00 last night in Raceland. Police say the 6-year-old and his brother – the same age – were playing with a loaded gun in the living room of a residence, when the firearm discharged. State Police Trooper Brennan Matherne…:

CUT 12(10)      “…pronounced dead.”

This story will be updated as the investigation continues. Firearms are among the top causes of death for kids ages 1 to 19.

Record highs are possible today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says temperatures are running about 15-degrees above normal…:

CUT 09(10)      “…the state.”

While Louisiana is enjoying comfortable temperatures, a large portion of the country is impacted by a huge winter storm.

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested 11 people this week involved in the theft of over 150 cell phones from people celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Chief Deputy Jimmy Travis says the suspects are members of a Colombian theft ring, and deputies are trying to return stolen phones to their rightful owners…:

CUT 03(09)      “…claim your phone.”

Phone numbers are listed on the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Facebook page.

After criticizing Attorney General Jeff Landry and his gubernatorial run Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says they’ve mended fences. He says they patched it up during a recent meeting with Landry, wherein they talked about a number of projects he’s concerned with…:

CUT 07(11)      “…work with him.”

Nungesser will seek re-election to a third term this fall.

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says he’s getting closer to a decision on whether he’ll run for governor this year. Graves says he was busy during the first six weeks of the year with issues in Washington D-C, but he’s had more time lately to contemplate a possible run…:

CUT 12(07)      “…going to be doing.”

Charges have been dropped against LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers who was arrested in New Orleans this week for a misdemeanor count of illegally carrying of a weapon on Bourbon Street. Prosecutors decided to drop charges on the condition that Nabers does not get the gun back.

A Sulphur man is under arrest for allegedly having sex with a person under 17 years of age earlier this month and recording the event. 43-year-old Antonio Chavez is charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and pornography involving juveniles. His bond is set at a quarter-million dollars.

If your cell phone was stolen while partying in New Orleans, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office might have it. Jeff Palermo has the story…:

CUT 01(32)      “…Palermo.”

A New Orleans man was shot multiple times today, while driving on Interstate 10. This happened during the lunch hour. The victim was able to drive himself to a nearby business to get help. The city has had a string of shooting incidents on the busy freeway in recent months.

Baton Rouge area congressman Garret Graves says he is getting closer to a decision on a possible run for Governor of Louisiana this fall. He says a great many have asked him to run, asked if he would run and asked if he is thinking about running. He says he is still making up his mind on what could be a career-changing decision…:

CUT 13(07)      “…to the state.”

He says his duties in the U.S. House have kept him pretty busy.

The group seeking a recall of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell handed in their nearly-50-thousand petition signatures today. UNO political science professor Ed Chervenak says Cantrell will certainly seek to invalidate a great number of those…:

CUT 09(05)      “…challenge the signatures.”

Once the signatures have been counted & verified, the Governor will then set a date for a recall election.

The deadline for a petition to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has arrived. More from Teiko Foxx…:

CUT 02  (30)        “…Foxx.”

Congressman Garret Graves. Will he or won’t he run for Governor this fall? He says he IS close to a decision, because he’s asked about it all the time…:

CUT 14  (04)        “…we have.”

Graves has been District 6 Congressman since 2015.

If your cell phone was pickpocketed during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s office says it may be one of the over 160 stolen phones they recovered when they arrested a pickpocket gang from Miami. Chief Deputy Jimmy Travis says the thieves would use Faraday bags to prevent tracking the phones…:

CUT 05  (12)        “…or whatever.”

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser was angry with Attorney General Jeff Landry and the state Republican Party over the 2023 governor’s race. Landry is running and the GOP fully backs him. Nungesser was going to run, but was upset the party tossed early support behind Landry. He’s decided to run for re-election instead, and says he and Landry have met and mended fence…:

CUT 06  (08)        “…elected governor.”

Nungesser seeks his third term as Lt. Governor.

The Shreveport cop who is charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of unarmed suspect Alonzo Bagley has been subject to three Internal Affairs investigations in his two short years with SPD. He was cleared in one but found to have violated department policy in two others.

No doubt Shreveport Police and State Police have been forthcoming with information on the Bagley shooting. Is that, in some way, because of the 2019 Ronald Greene case, where body cam evidence was suppressed from public view? Baton Rouge criminal defense attorney Franz Borghardt think that’s possible, yes. He says they diffused public anger by releasing the Bagley footage, but there IS a risk in being too transparent with evidence…:

CUT 12  (13)        “…as to guilt.”

Borghardt says, in this case, SPD probably did the right thing.

Organizers of the effort to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell say they are confident they have gathered the signatures needed to get a recall election, and are now looking for additional signatures. They must submit their signatures to the Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters tomorrow, but voters will have an additional five business days to either add their name to the petition, or remove it.

Farewell to the Flesh, it’s Fat Tuesday; the most joyous day of the Louisiana year. More from Jeff Palermo…:

CUT 02  (28)        “…Palermo.”

Everywhere else in the country today it’s just Tuesday, but here in Louisiana its Fat Tuesday, a tradition like no other. You could not ask for a better Mardi Gras weather wise. Warm temperatures and no rain and these parade goers are enjoying the day…:

Cut 07   (07)        “…celebrating life.”

It all ends at midnight tonight, when Lent officially begins.

Lawmen in southwest Louisiana arrest a 19-year-old in connection with Sunday night’s fatal shooting of a person in the Coteau area. Iberia Sheriff’s spokesperson Katherine Breaux says Caiden Sheridan was arrested for 2^nd degree murder by Lake Charles Police Monday. She says IPSO was first notified of the crime at around 7pm Sunday…:

CUT 10  (11)        “…on foot.”

The victim’s name has not been released as yet.

Shreveport Police and Louisiana State Police have been fast and transparent in the recent officer-involved shooting death of 43-year-old Alonzo Bagley; releasing body cam footage & other evidence to the public quickly. This contrasts with the 2019 case of Ronald Greene, wherein body cam footage was suppressed for over a year, before it leaked to the public. Baton Rouge criminal defense attorney Franz Borghardt says there’s no comparison…:

CUT 11  (13)        “…apples and papayas.”

Borhardt can only speculate, but says quite possibly lessons learned from the Greene case have inspired law enforcement to be more forthcoming with information going forward.

LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers was arrested on a weapons-related charge in New Orleans Monday. Details of the arrest are yet unavailable, but we do know the charge was “illegally carrying a weapon” and that he has been released from jail as of this afternoon. So far no comment from the university.

Everywhere else in the country today it’s just Tuesday, but here in Louisiana its Fat Tuesday, a tradition like no other. There are parades across south Louisiana. In New Orleans, the party will go until midnight and these revelers on historic St. Charles Avenue are ready…:

CUT 06(06)      “…never enough.”

Today is the last day of parades until next January. It will be an early Mardi Gras in 2024 as Fat Tuesday next year is February 13th.

Authorities arrest a 19-year-old in connection with the Sunday night shooting death of a person in the Coteau area. Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Katherine Breaux says Caiden Sheridan was arrested by Lake Charles police Monday night…:

CUT 09(08)      “…2^nd-degree murder.”

The victim’s name has not been released pending positive identification from the coroner.

Detectives in Vernon Parish are asking the public for help with a 33-year-old cold case of a teen that disappeared…:

CUT 01(32)      “…Thorington.”

Deputies in Tangipahoa Parish have now recovered over 160 stolen cellphones, and made additional arrests of a gang of pickpockets from Miami, who came to Louisiana to prey on Mardi Gras parade revelers. If your phone was pilfered, contact the Tangipahoa sheriff’s Office to see if they have it.

One person is dead and four others injured after gunfire erupts on St. Charles Avenue during the Bacchus Parade in New Orleans. Jeff Palermo has more..:

CUT 01(30)      “…Palermo.”

There were one or more shooting incidents during the Krewe of Gemini parade in Shreveport Saturday. Details from SPD are scarce, but we do know a teen from Marshall, Texas was shot and killed. The other shooting is unconfirmed at this time, but we are told a person was shot and wounded. Mayor Tom Arceneaux says parades will be safer going forward.

A head-on crash in Terrebonne Parish kills two and seriously injures two others. Trooper Ross Brennan says that shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday on Highway 57 near Dulac, Craig and Cookie Boudreaux were traveling south in a Silverado and a Mitsubishi driven by 60-year-old Jorge Hernandez was traveling north…:

CUT 06(13)      “…at the scene.”

Toxicology samples were taken from both drivers – live and dead – to see if impairment played a role in the crash.

In St. Martin Parish a single-vehicle crash killed two Breaux Bridge residents Sunday afternoon. 41-year-old Christopher Thibodeaux and his 16-year-old nephew Carter Potts were both killed. Thibodeaux was NOT wearing a seatbelt, the teen was. Gossen says it’s unknown whether Thibodeaux being unrestrained caused injury to Carter…:

CUT 09(09)      “…is restrained.”

A 17-year-old from Marshall, Texas was killed by gunfire along the route of the Shreveport Krewe of Gemini Parade. Jeff Palermo has more…:

CUT 02(30)      “…Palermo.”

Two people were arrested Sunday afternoon after officers found a man shot near a parade route in St. Gabriel. Officers responded to a report of shots fired near Landry and 4th streets, adjacent to a parade route. A man was found on the scene with a gunshot wound. He is now in stable condition. The parade was temporarily halted so first responders could access the scene, but it continued shortly after.

One person was killed and four others wounded in a shooting along the Bacchus parade route in uptown New Orleans last night. Gunfire rang out at around 9:30 PM and witnesses say everyone near the scene took cover to avoid getting hit by bullets. NOPD Deputy Chief Hans Ganthier…:

CUT 03(08)      “…that end.”

The victim is A teenage male. Four persons in their 20’s were shot and injured.

Tangipahoa Parish deputies say they have recovered about 40 cellphones stolen by pickpockets in New Orleans. They also found dozens of credit cards, ATM cards and drivers licenses. Four people from Miami, Florida have been arrested. If you lost your phone at Mardi Gras in new Orleans, contact the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office.

And Baton Rouge Police seek the person who fired shots into a small local church, during services last night. No one was reported hit.

New Orleans Police arrest a 21-year-old for shooting and killing one and injuring 4 during last night’s Krewe of Bacchus parade. Acting NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork says the suspect is Manour Mbodj. She says now they are working to see if he acted alone, and what sparked the gunfire…:

CUT 05(09)      “…happened out there.”

A head-on crash in Terrebonne Parish kills two and seriously injures two others. Trooper Ross Brennan says an SUV crossed the center line on Highway 57 near Dulac Sunday; killing Craig and Cookie Boudreaux when it hit their pickup. The driver of the SUV, Jorge Hernandez, and his passenger were badly hurt…:

CUT 07(07)      “…at this moment.”

All four persons involved in the crash are from Houma.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office says the fire that destroyed the New Friendship Baptist Church in Grant Parish last Thursday is not of suspicious origin. Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the fire started in a mechanical room, and was probably electrical, but they are investigating. She says when firefighters arrived, flames were contained to one part of the 70-year-old structure…:

CUT 14(06)      “…of the building.”

A total loss. Members says they will rebuild.

State Wildlife & Fisheries agents bust a man for illegally catching over $300-thousand in Louisiana oysters. Agents first discovered Luis Garcia had no commercial fishing license last November, and – after their i9bnvestigation – they arrested him last week. LDWF spokesman Adam Einck says Garcia took a lot of oysters…:

CUT 11(07)      “…thousand dollars.”

Though his jail time and fine may be not-so-large, Garcia could he held subject to civil restitution for the replacement value of the illegally sold oysters.