A man who tried to help a New Orleans crime victim was shot in the stomach and would have been shot again had the assailant’s handgun not jammed, security camera video released by police shows.
Peter Gold, 25, a Tulane University medical student, survived. He is listed in guarded condition at a hospital, New Orleans police said.
The video was shot at 4 a.m. Friday and opens with a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt dragging a woman down the sidewalk to a parked SUV in the 1000 block of St. Mary Street, New Orleans police said in a press release.
A few seconds later, a car turns the corner and parks. Gold gets out and approaches the man outside camera range.
Gold steps back into camera range with his hands up. There’s no audio, but police said he was explaining that he didn’t have any cash. The gunman fires once into Gold’s stomach. The student falls to the sidewalk and curls into a ball.
The gunman points the weapon at Gold’s head but the gun doesn’t fire. He fiddles with the gunl and tries two more times to shoot Gold. He steps out of the camera range and a light-colored SUV drives away.
Police said the robber grabbed the woman’s purse and left. She was not injured.
Gold is a fourth-year medical student who did his undergraduate work at the school, Tulane University President Mike Fitts said. His parents and sister attended Tulane.
“He is an outstanding student who represents the best of Tulane in every possible way,” Fitts said.
His family issued a statement asking for privacy as they help Gold recover.
“While we deeply appreciate everyone’s concern, support and prayers as our family faces this crisis, our sole focus at this time is on Peter’s recovery,” the statement said.