Two arrested after escalated argument led to death of 80-year-old at commencement ceremony
NEW ORLEANS - Two people have been arrested for an argument that happened after Morris Jeff High School's graduation ceremony escalated and led to an 80-year-old grandmother being shot and killed, according to WWLTV.
Deputies with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office booked Frank Bartholomew, 49, and Laverne Duplessis, 40, Tuesday afternoon for their involvement in the shooting. Bartholomew was charged with manslaughter, having a gun on a school campus, and obstruction of justice. Duplessis was charged with obstruction of justice.
WWLTV reports that two high school graduates were involved in an argument following the commencement ceremony at Xavier University of Louisiana. Family members allegedly escalated the argument which led to gunfire. 80-year-old Augustine Greenwood, a mother of six and a grandmother to 15, had attended the ceremony for one of her grandchildren and was leaving when she was struck with stray bullets.
“This incident could have been prevented," New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. "Children will be children. We as adults have dispute. It may even escalate to a physical fight, but when you escalate it to bringing a weapon into play, that’s a whole different element."
Two other teenagers, a 19-year-old and a 15-year-old, were also arrested for their involvement in the shooting. All four were booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center on June 14.