Man shot dead with his own gun after sexually assaulting woman in Bywater, NOPD says

3-14-2014 Louisiana:

A 26-year-old man, Samuel Raines, was shot dead with his own gun after he sexually assaulted a woman at school construction site in the Bywater, New Orleans police said Friday. The shooter, a man who was not identified, disarmed the woman's attacker and opened fire around 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

The man who was killed approached the couple as they walked along the 3800 block of North Rampart Street at Alvar Street outside the old Frederick Douglass High School, according to a police spokesman. The man brandished a gun and demanded the pair walk to a building undergoing renovation, NOPD said.

The assailant, identified in police reports as Samuel Raines, began assaulting the woman, and the other man was able to get ahold of the weapon, NOPD said.

Police did not say what evidence led them to believe a sex crime occurred. They said a gun was recovered, but provided no information about where it was found or if fingerprints or other evidence linked it to Raines.

Detectives said they interviewed the shooter and the woman and released them without arrest.



The case will be turned over to prosecutors for review. A spokesman for District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said the office had not yet received a report, and the office would not comment on an open investigation.

The school, which is now home to the Homer Plessy Community School and the ARISE academy, was dark and it appeared no one was inside as detectives began their investigation. Administrators said classes Friday were unaffected by the shooting.

"This is crazy ... we consider this the quiet side," area resident Diane Green said after the shooting, referring to the shooting site's location on the river side from St. Claude Avenue.

Another area resident who watched the investigation unfold remarked, "That's where my little one goes to school. Wonder if there's going to be classes tomorrow."

One woman who lives in the area said she heard two pops before the sirens started. Another man, a pastor of the nearby Grace Baptist Church, said he didn't hear the gunfire and only knew of the shooting because of news reports.

The old high school building is undergoing renovations to make it suitable for elementary school students, said Cay Kimbrell, Recovery School District spokeswoman. She said the contractor and the leaders of the two schools are coordinating to "make sure the security of the building itself and outside the perimeter is done well."

"We definitely care about the safety of our students as well as the community around the school," Kimbrell said.

Raines has a criminal history in Orleans Parish dating back to 2006. A gun charge was reduced to a misdemeanor marijuana conviction, and later he was convicted of attempted kidnapping, purse snatching and auto theft. He served about seven years in prison.

That crime happened on Burgundy and Louisa streets, not far from this week's crime scene, when a woman's purse and car were stolen. The woman told police her assailant bit her. ..Source.. by Ginny LaRoe

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Suspect shot, killed with own gun during sexual assault

A man is dead after he was fatally shot with his own gun while sexually assaulting a woman Thursday night in the New Orleans neighborhood of Bywater.

Local media reported that it was around 9:30 p.m. when a man and a woman, neither of whose names have been released, were walking down the street when they were approached by a man who was later identified as 23-year-old Samuel Raines.

Raines was armed with a gun and forced the two victims to enter a nearby school building which was currently under renovation and empty at the time.

Raines then proceeded to sexually assault the woman. However, while his attentions were focused on the female, the male victim was somehow able to gain control of her attacker’s gun, which he then used to fatally shoot Raines.

One woman who lives nearby, told reporters that she heard two pops shortly before hearing the sound of sirens, although police have not confirmed how many shots were fired or how many times and where Raines was struck.

When police arrived, they recovered a gun from the scene and as part of the ongoing investigation are trying to determine its origin.

Authorities also discovered that Raines had served about seven years in prison and had a criminal history in the area dating back to 2006 which included gun charges – which were downgraded to a misdemeanor marijuana charge – as well as kidnapping, purse snatching and auto theft.

Once the investigation is completed, the case will be turned over to the prosecutor, but no charges are expected to be filed against the man who delivered the fatal shots.

“That’s where my little one goes to school,” a woman commented as she watched authorities scour the area during the investigation. “Wonder if there’s going to be classes tomorrow.” She added.

But school was back in session the following day and appeared unaffected by the events which occurred the night before. ..Source.. by Jennifer Cruz