Woman shot during armed robbery in Mid-City, shot at suspect | Crime/Police

A woman who was shot during an armed robbery near a popular Mid-City restaurant district Wednesday morning fired back at her suspected attacker, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Officers responded to a call in the 4400 block of Banks Street at 7:54 a.m. and found a woman had been shot and taken to a hospital by paramedics. The victim later told police that the shooting occurred during an armed robbery.

NOPD said in a new report Thursday morning that the woman and male suspect had a brief conversation before he asked her for money. He then pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot, striking the victim. She fired back, then the suspect fled the scene.

Officers did not say whether the victim was inside a home or business at the time of the armed robbery.

An employee at a restaurant near the crime scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Times-Picayune that around 7:45 a.m., employees heard the sound of a gunshot and then saw a woman in distress outside. The employee said a New Orleans Fire Department ladder truck and EMS arrived at the scene shortly afterward.

Around 9 a.m., three police cars blocked the intersection of South Alexander and Banks streets. Crime tape surrounded the Banks Street bar and the restaurant next door, Bub's Burgers, blocking part of the street while officers investigated the crime scene outside the popular local bar.

Police did not provide any further information about the identity of the suspect or the current condition of the victim. The crime remains under investigation.