A New Orleans chef was killed by a crazed carjacker who shot him while he was waiting to pick up his son from daycare.
Devoted dad Carl Morgan was picking up his 2-year-old when the carjacker — identified by police as Raymond Wells, 21 — killed him, dumping his body in the parking lot before speeding off with his car.
“I just saw a guy walking right there — he just started unloading his gun,” said Luke Gower, a resident of the area who saw the gunman open fire.
“I don’t think he even knew the person. He just aimed at the car and started shooting at it,” Gower said.
“There I was — the next car in line — so I just feel lucky, I guess,” said Gower, who had been heading for a workout.
Morgan — a sous chef at popular NOLA restaurant Brennan’s — was found dead in the parking lot of the Abeona House Child Discovery Center.
“It was a truly horrible scene and a horrible crime,” New Orleans Police Department Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon said.
The suspect was later found by police, shot in the head, inside the stolen vehicle. It is unclear who shot him.
He remains in critical condition and will be charged with first-degree murder if he recovers, police said.
He had earlier been cruising around the neighborhood, carjacking other cars and shooting at passersby before gunning down Morgan, according to cops.
“The shooter was up to something on that block,” Gernon said.
Teachers at the daycare heard the shots, according to the pastor of a neighbouring church.
“What happened was one of the teachers heard the gunfire on Bienville and said ‘let’s get inside,’ and they immediately moved all the children inside,” said Shawn Anglim, the pastor at First Grace United Methodist Church.
The parking lot where Morgan was found has become a makeshift memorial for community members to pay their respects.
“He was such a good human,” said Christian Pendleton, general manager of the restaurant where Morgan worked.
“He was a dad waiting to pick up his son at daycare. None of this is ever okay.”
Morgan leaves behind his partner, Lisa Marie Lienberger, and their 2-year-old son.
“I don’t know what to think,” said Lienberger. “We love him very much, and I will do my best to make sure he’s remembered in everything we do. I wish he was here.”
Morgan was a sous chef at Brennan’s, a popular restaurant in New Orleans. He was set to lead Brennan’s stall at Fried Chicken Fest this weekend.
“When he made his fried chicken sandwich, people looked forward to it. We’ll do that for him,” Pendleton said.
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