A man who fired a gun in a hair salon on Downman Road in New Orleans, prompting a SWAT team roll Saturday morning, is in custody. A barber was shot in the leg.
Authorities were able to coax the shooter out of the shop.
Police said the incident happened around 10:25 Saturday morning in a shop called Picture Me Rollin in the 8000 block of Downman. The area is near the intersection of Downman and Hayne Boulevard.
The shooter, identified as 19-year-old Pershing Gilmore of LaPlace, entered the store with his mother, who has been a regular customer of the shop for the last few months. Shop owner Dorian Baham said when the two walked into the shop, 'there was just a bad feeling.'
The owner described the shooter as distraught and agitated, and that he kept pacing the store with one hand in his black hoodie pocket. At one point, he started to cry and said he'd be 20 tomorrow and that he 'didn't want to hurt anyone.'
Baham said he then pulled a gun and pointed it at himself. The store had about 15 people inside at the time, and she and seven other people ran from the store once Gilmore pulled the gun. Seven others ran into a bathroom storage closet to hide. The shooter shot one of the barbers in the leg - he is at a hospital and is expected to survive.
Police said the incident followed an argument between Gilmore and his mother and that Gilmore fired several shots into the lower part of the door to the bathroom closet when he could not get the locked door open.
Police arrived at the scene minutes after an off-duty police officer who was inside the barbershop at the time made a call. A SWAT team set up a perimeter on the block, and police were able to coax Gilmore out of the store without him endangering any other people.
'In less than 60 minutes the entire incident was under control,' New Orleans Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said. 'I'm incredibly proud of how the department responded.'
Baham said she recognized the man's mother when they walked in together, but had never seen her son before.
The shop has been in business for 20 years, but only one year at this location. Baham said she's never had any problems at the shop before this incident.
'Sometimes we work until 2 or 3 in the morning, but we've never had any trouble,' Baham said.
Police recovered one 40-caliber gun and several spent bullet casings from the scene. Gilmore has been booked with aggravated battery by shooting, false imprisonment and offender armed with a dangerous weapon.
Police said the Gilmore had a prior firearms charge in Texas, and a few misdemeanor charges.
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