1 Person Dead and Multiple Others Injured After Shooting at Restaurant in New Orleans, Police Searching for Suspect By Escher Walcott

At least one person is dead and three others are injured following a shooting in New Orleans.

At around 8 p.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 16, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 2300 block of Orleans Avenue. Upon arrival, they found three women and one man “who had sustained gunshot wounds,” the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) said in a news release shared on Facebook.

The man was declared dead at the scene. The remaining victims were transported to a local hospital, with two in critical condition and one in stable condition, the NOPD confirmed.

The incident at Dooky Chase’s restaurant is believed to have been a “targeted attack” on a 26-year-old man, Fox 8 WVUE-TV reported, citing Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick. The eatery had reportedly been in operation for 85 years without any similar incidents.

Kirkpatrick said at a press conference that the man “ran into the restaurant where he collapsed” as the shooter followed him inside and “continued to shoot,” hitting innocent bystanders in the foyer area of the restaurant.

Related Stories

A Dad Was Shot and Killed as He Picked Up His Son from Daycare. Now, the Alleged Shooter Is Dead Too

Devoted Mom Had to Be Convinced to Take a Break and Celebrate Birthday — Then She Was Struck by Stray Bullet

The suspect left the scene, then “turned around and came back,” before leaving once again, said Kirkpatrick, per Fox 8 WVUE-TV. The three surviving victims were all visitors to the city, she added.

The incident is being investigated as a homicide.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“Investigators are currently in the process of gathering evidence and information to identify the person(s) responsible for this incident, as well as a motive,” said the NOPD in their news release.

The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office will carry out an autopsy to identify the deceased victim and determine the official cause of death, according to the NOPD.

The police are asking anyone with additional information about the shooting to contact NOPD Homicide Section detectives at 504-658-5300, or to call anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP. Tips can also be submitted online at www.crimestoppersgno.org.

PEOPLE has reached out to the NOPD for further comment.