Grandmother, 80, Shot Dead at Louisiana High School Graduation Just Moments After Seeing Her Grandson Receive His Diploma

An 80-year-old grandmother in Louisiana was shot dead just moments after watching her grandson walk across the stage for his high school graduation.

According to Daily Mail, Augustine Greenwood was walking back to her family's car from Xavier University Convocation Center in New Orleans at around 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday when a stray bullet struck her.

The university hosted the graduation ceremony for nearby Morris Jeff High School. Greenwood's family was heading out to a meal to celebrate her grandson, Corey Lashley Jr., graduation from high school when she was shot that morning.

Paramedics brought the mother of six daughters and grandmother to 15 to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead later in the afternoon.

Greenwood's daughter, Geraldine Greenwood-Lashley, said her mother got hit by a stray bullet, adding that it was a senseless act that could have been avoided "if they would have just walked away."

WDSU-TV reported that the family was exiting the graduation to celebrate Lashley's son when they heard about a fight between two women in the parking lot.

"Some ladies... got into it. Started to fight. We started to leave, and someone started shooting," Lashley noted.

Greenwood's grandson, Lashley Jr., told the outlet that it was sad that her grandmother came out to see him receive his high school diploma, and this happened.

He noted that it was hard to believe that he would never see his grandmother again. But he said he would try his best to continue to make her proud.

Grandmother Shot in High School Graduation in Louisiana

According to Associated Press, Officer Reese Harper, a police spokesperson, said Wednesday that no one is in custody yet, and the investigation is still ongoing.

On Tuesday, police said guns were found on the scene, and they were questioning multiple people. In total, three people were shot.

The two unidentified men, who were shot in the shoulder and the leg, are expected to be okay. Police have confirmed that the shooting started with a fight between two women in the parking lot.

New Orleans Police Department Chief Deputy Superintendent Christopher Goodly said two or three people had been brought in for questioning. According to reports, Greenwood got shot in the head and was in critical condition when she was brought to a hospital, where she died.

In a statement, New Orleans Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. said, "this has got to stop," adding that everyone must work together to address the damage caused by access to guns and to get to the root of the anger that compels a person to harm others.

Gun Violence in the U.S.

According to Healthline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the firearm homicide rate in the U.S. grew by 35 percent from 2019 to 2020.

The CDC reported that there were approximately 45,222 gun-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020, or about 124 people dying from a gun-related injury each day, and counties with greater poverty levels saw the biggest increases in firearm homicides.

The CDC said firearms were reportedly involved in 79 percent of all homicides and 53 percent of suicides in 2020. The CDC further noted that Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming, Missouri, and Alabama have the highest firearm mortality rates.

According to Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. has already reported 233 incidents of mass shootings this year, which means that about 46 shooting incidents happen each month.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Grandmother Killed as Shots Fired After Grandson Graduates - From WWLTV