Crime
24-Year-Old Mario Harris Arrested After Entering ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy in New Orleans with Gun
NEW ORLEANS — A lockdown at ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy in New Orleans East has been lifted following a tense incident Tuesday morning in which a man entered the school with a firearm.
Authorities confirmed that no shots were fired and no injuries occurred.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Mario Harris, was taken into custody without incident after he entered the school building and requested medical assistance.
According to officials with the New Orleans Police Department, Harris approached staff members in the school’s front office and asked for help.
As staff worked to assess the situation, Harris reportedly revealed a firearm while still seated in the office.
School administrators immediately contacted law enforcement, and the school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure.
Staff members and responding officers from the New Orleans Police Department acted swiftly to ensure the safety of students and faculty, subduing Harris without further escalation.
Police confirmed that Harris did not discharge the weapon at any point during the incident.
Mental health counselors have since been deployed to the campus to provide support to students and staff in the aftermath.
Parents were notified and have been given the option to pick up their children for the remainder of the day, though classes are continuing under heightened safety protocols.
Mario Harris was arrested at the scene and is currently in police custody.
Authorities have not yet released information regarding potential charges or Harris’s motive.
The investigation remains ongoing. School officials and law enforcement praised the rapid response of staff and officers, noting that their actions were instrumental in bringing the situation to a safe resolution.
Authorities have identified the man shot and killed Friday afternoon in a parking lot outside a Little Caesars restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
The victim has been named as Stevens Jeffrey, 29, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The shooting occurred in the 2600 block of West Cermak Road near Rockwell Street at approximately 1:10 p.m., according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
Preliminary reports indicate that Jeffrey was sitting in his vehicle when he was approached by an unknown vehicle.
An armed individual exited that vehicle and opened fire, striking Jeffrey multiple times in the face and body.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, where Jeffrey was pronounced dead. He was discovered inside his vehicle with his two young children, ages 4 and 6, who were unharmed.
Both children were transported to Stroger Hospital for precautionary evaluation.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a Little Caesars restaurant, where investigators recovered multiple shell casings and placed numerous evidence markers on the ground.
As of Friday evening, no suspects are in custody, and detectives from the CPD Area Four Homicide Unit are leading the investigation. Police have not released information on a possible motive.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about this homicide to contact Chicago Police or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com.