A New Orleans chef was tragically killed by a carjacker while he was waiting to pick up his son from daycare.
Carl Morgan, a devoted father, was shot by an assailant identified by police as he waited for his 2-year-old son, Raymond Wells. After the shooting, the suspect abandoned his body in the parking lot and sped away in Morgan’s vehicle.
“I just saw a guy right there, and he was just starting to put his gun down,” recounted Luke Gower, a local resident who witnessed the incident.
“I don’t think he knew him. He just started firing at the vehicle,” Gower added, reflecting on the chaotic scene. “I was there—whoever was in the next car must have been lucky,” he continued, heading for training afterward.
Morgan, who worked as a sous chef at the esteemed Nora Restaurant Brennan, was discovered lifeless in the parking area of the Abeona House Child Discovery Center.
“It was a really frightening scene, a terrible crime,” remarked Nicholas Gernon, deputy director of the New Orleans Police Department.
The suspect was later discovered injured inside the stolen vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head, and authorities are unsure who fired the shot. If he recovers, he will face charges of first-degree murder, police stated.
Officers noted that prior to the incident, the suspect had been prowling the neighborhood, carjacking other vehicles and even shooting at passersby.
“The shooter was right on this block,” Gernon noted.
A daycare teacher reportedly heard the gunfire, prompting quick action. “One of the teachers heard the shots nearby and said, ‘Let’s get inside.’ They swiftly gathered the children,” said Sean Angrim, pastor at a nearby church.
The area where Morgan was found turned into an impromptu memorial as community members gathered to pay their respects.
“He was a genuinely good person,” expressed Christian Pendleton, the general manager of the restaurant where Morgan worked. “He was just a dad picking up his son. None of this is acceptable.”
Morgan is survived by his partner, Lisa Marie Leanberger, and her young son.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Leanberger reflected. “We loved him dearly. I’ll do my best to ensure our son remembers him. I wish he were here.”
Morgan was set to lead the food stalls at Fried Chicken Fest this weekend, a highly anticipated event. “His fried chicken sandwich was something people were really looking forward to. We do it in his honor,” Pendleton noted.
